My man didn’t kill little Ben
Wife of suspect claims her dead husband is innocent
The widow of the man suspected of being responsible for the death of Ben Needham said: “My husband did not kill the little boy.”
Police believe Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas may have accidentally hit Ben while driving his digger on the Greek island of Kos.
He died last year, aged 62, and wife Varvara has never spoken before.
But in her first interview she said: “My husband never spoke to me about what happened that day.”
“He was a good man and I know he had nothing to do with Ben’s disappearance.”
Her comments came as it emerged she may not have known until four years ago that her husband was at the scene 25 years ago.
Yesterday, Varvara said: “My husband never talked about what happened on that day. It was never discussed.
“The only thing he ever said was he saw a car that day. Even when he was dying he never mentioned Ben.”
Varvara helped nurse her husband during the last year of his life, as he battled intestinal problems and cirrhosis of the liver.
But she said he always cooperated with authorities.
She added: “In the last few years, Valandis, our son, was going with him to see the police and prosecutor.
“Even when he was really ill, he was still going to see the police whenever they asked to see him.
“I cannot believe that after so many years this is happening again and our fami ly name is being dragged in to the gutter.
“It’s not right. I have lost my husband and now I have to go through all this.”
Ben, f rom Shef f ield, was 21 months old when he disappeared while visiting his grandparents’ home on the island with mum Kerry in 1991.
Varvara claimed to recall what happened at the time and insisted she saw no difference in her husband’s behaviour.
Working with the Greek authorities, police officers will start digs at two sites close to where Ben was last seen on July 24, 1991.