THE family of a young Tenbury man who was killed five years ago is considering taking their fight for justice to the European courts.

Family members are pledging to continue the battle to get to the bottom of the death of Adrian Palmer, who suffered from Asperger’s syndrome and was killed in the town in 2006.

Ben Murphy, then of Kyreside, Tenbury, subsequently admitted manslaughter and received a custodial sentence.

But the Palmer family has since appealed to the High Court, London, against a refusal in June to re-open the inquest into Adrian’s death.

His 64-year-old grandmother Margaret was in court to hear the judge turn down the bid on the basis that Adrian’s human rights had not been violated.

“We are disappointed, but not completely surprised,” she said.

“There is a failure to understand the problems faced by people with Asperger’s and their families. People with the condition do not look as if they have a disability and so their special needs go ignored.

“Now we must wait for the full adjudication before deciding on the next step, but rest assured, we shall not let this rest.

“It is not just about Adrian, but helping to make sure that other people in a similar position get a better chance. One of the possible options will be to take the case to the European Court of Justice in the Hague.”

The Palmer family, including Adrian’s 65-year-old grandfather Andrew and his mother Jeanette, are also concerned about how they will fund future legal action.

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission identified a number of failings by West Mercia Police saying more could have been done to protect Adrian. The family has been trying to get the inquest into his death re-opened as it does not feel that the original hearing took into account all the circumstances of his killing and how the case was handled.