Anguished British father whose son fell to his death from Cyprus hotel appears in court a day after what would have been the boy's third birthday

Cyprus has been urged to recognise the suffering of a British father facing jail over the death of his son who fell from a hotel window, as the case was delayed once more today.The 37-year-old, who works for one of the Big Four accountancy firms and previously ran a start-up, appeared at Paphos District Court with his parents a day after what would have been his son's third birthday.He was arrested just hours after his son plunged from a fourth-floor window on July 12, on suspicion of 'causing death through negligence, reckless and dangerous actions'.A hearing had been set for today, and prosecutors told the court: 'We recognise the suffering the man and his family are enduring. The state must adhere to the law.'No plea was entered, and the proceedings were adjourned until next week after his lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, asked for more time. The man could face up to four years in prison if he is convicted.Speaking to journalists outside the court, his lawyer said he will now have to explain 'the consequences of a sentence and what a trial will mean' to the father, who is 'not in a good way'.It comes after the Cyprus attorney general George Savvides rejected an appeal for the case to be dropped on humanitarian grounds – to Mr Alexandrou's 'surprise'.He had argued that there was no public interest in continuing the prosecution. Any prolonged criminal process, he added, would only deepen the family's trauma. The toddler died after falling out of a window at the five-star King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos The father placed the toddler on a windowsill at the King Evelthon Hotel while waiting for the lift not realising the window was openHowever, the father was forced to return to Cyprus.'My client's disappointment is obvious,' Mr Alexandrou said. 'This must be discussed so he understands it, because he will be called to go under cross examination, to testify… I don't know if he's in a place to do that.'Let us not forget that he's also a victim of his own so-called 'carelessness'.'The father placed his son on a windowsill at the five-star King Evelthon Hotel while waiting for a lift, believing it was closed.To his horror, the boy fell backwards and plunged 33ft. He was declared dead on arrival at Paphos General Hospital shortly afterwards.The father, whom the Daily Mail is not naming, was initially held on remand without charge for eight days in what local press described as perhaps Cypriot police's 'cruellest act'.Authorities focused their inquiries on him, rather than the hotel where three British guests have now died in four years, and which is owned by an influential Cypriot family.Stuck behind bars, he was forced to tell his surviving five-year-old daughter of her brother's death over FaceTime. She and her mother – a 38-year-old health professional – returned to the UK at the end of July.Today Mr Alexandrou said: 'The daughter needs her father, she is calling him and calling him.'Toxicology reports found a very small quantity of alcohol, equivalent to one or two drinks, in the father's blood.Once he was formally charged, he was forced to pay a total of $30,000 (£25,750) in bail. He was also banned from leaving the island, though this was temporarily lifted for a month on August 5 to allow him to bury his son.Of the toddler, a family member told the Daily Mail: 'He was a truly special, easy-going little boy who brought so much joy to everyone around him.'He was deeply adored and his infectious smile, warm cuddles and kind heart are already so deeply missed and always will be.'Friends previously told the Mail they were worried about how the family would survive if the case continues. One said: 'His main worry is about his daughter and his wife.'Obviously, he needs to go back to his job as soon as possible. I imagine his employer can't keep his job open forever'.When the Mail visited the King Evelthon Hotel, it found the large fourth-floor window through which the toddler fell was still open.UK health and safety guidelines state hotel windows large enough that children can fall through should be restricted to an opening of 10cm or less.But in Cyprus the window must simply be above a ledge at least 1.1 metres tall – which King Evelthon complies with.The resort's safety record has come under scrutiny after it emerged the child was the third British tourist to die there in four years.Ben Woods, 21, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, drowned while playing volleyball in the hotel's pool in July 2022. Only the following year, six-year-old Ruaridh Nairne, from Inverness, also drowned.And another woman reportedly died while swimming there in 2024.Another plea hearing has been set for Tuesday 22, and he will remain in Cyprus until then.