The mum of a young man who was stabbed to death in Portugal fears her son's "inhumane and evil" killer will walk free just two years after the brutal killing.
Elliot Mulligan, from Croxteth, was murdered by his roommate, William Hunter, in the grounds of the luxury apartment complex where he was staying in Albufeira on April 25, 2022. The 22-year-old was stabbed multiple times in the chest, back, arms and hands by Hunter, who was jailed for 18 years for the crime in May 2023.
But Elliot's mum Gina fears he will soon be a free man, as he has appealed his verdict and is currently being held on preventative detention. This is a two-year holding period under Portuguese law, which expires on April 26. If a court does not reach a decision on his appeal before this time, Hunter will be released, and will only be recalled to prison once a decision has been made.
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Gina said: "We attended (the trial) as a family facing the unknown of what may happen. We had to listen to Hunter testify, showing no feeling or remorse for the crime he had committed. As Portuguese law works very differently to the UK, there was only one court day every few weeks which meant us travelling back and forth to Portugal as we were there to represent Elliot. At each court appearance Hunter again failed to show any remorse for his actions, looking out of windows, stretching, and yawning as if bored, denying any involvement in a crime he intentionally committed. He can only be described as inhuman and evil. There were times where he would maintain fixed eye contact with us."
Hunter, formerly of West Derby, was found guilty following a trial on May 23, but launched an appeal to have the verdict overturned.
Gina said: "This required the trial to be reopened at our complete distress. This began in January 2024 and again required us to travel back and forth to Portugal until March when the court felt appeal questions were answered, and again felt 18 years as a sentence was warranted. Unfortunately, we now stand by to hear if this is to be accepted by the appeal judges - which we were advised by our lawyer can be a lengthy wait."
She believes Hunter will attempt to flee Portugal if he is allowed to leave prison, leaving him "free to commit more potentially hideous crimes".
An inquest in Liverpool last year heard that Elliot had been staying with Hunter, 31, at the Correeira Luxury Residence from April 6, 2022. In the early hours of April 25, the pair got into an argument and Hunter launched a vicious attack, stabbing Elliot approximately 24 times.
Elliot managed to escape the flat by jumping from a balcony and walked several metres across the garden before collapsing. Emergency services were alerted just after 6.30am, and pronounced the 22-year-old dead at the scene a short time later.
Gina said: "As a family we will remain forever broken and traumatised at the tragic loss of Elliot. Elliot was a free spirit, adored by his mum, sisters and niece. He was loved beyond words by his close family and many friends. Elliot lived in the moment and embraced life with positivity, a lover not a fighter with a heart of gold. He was a peacekeeper who would never look for aggravation. His smile would light up a room and his laugh will never will be forgotten. He was a loyal, kind and gentle soul. The devastation of losing him is something we cannot comprehend.
"Not only did we suffer the distress of losing Elliot, three weeks later Elliot’s grandfather passed away heartbroken at the loss of his grandson. The heartbreak and despair of losing Elliot and as a result losing his grandfather is immeasurable and has affected our lives to the extent of being irreparable."
Note: An earlier version of this article stated Hunter had appealed his sentence. In fact, he has appealed the guilty verdict reached by the Portuguese court.
