Two arrested after British tourist is violently mugged in Benidorm

112 incident

The victim was punched and fell unconscious to the ground where he was kicked in the head; he received treatment in hospital

Natalia Penza

A 67-year-old British tourist has been mugged for his wallet and left for dead in a broad-daylight attack in Benidorm.

Police confirmed on Thursday the two suspects, Romanians described locally as brothers, had been held over the violent assault after trying to rob an English woman just an hour later nearby.

Footage of the horror incident showed the pair appearing to wait for their victim and one of the men punching him unconscious to the ground before kicking him twice in the head and rifling through his pockets as his accomplice watched on.

They fled leaving the Brit pensioner sprawled on his back on the ground until help arrived and he was taken to hospital.

Confirming the suspects’ arrests a spokesman for Spain’s National Police in Alicante said on Thursday of the attack, which happened on 28 June around 7am by a hotel called Hotel Agir near Benidorm’s Little England area: “Two men, aged 19 and 21, have been arrested as the alleged perpetrators of the crimes of violent robbery, theft, and assault causing bodily harm.

“After attacking a man in a public street to steal his wallet, a crime captured in a video circulating on social media, the suspects violently stole a woman's handbag by suddenly attacking her from behind.

“Passers-by at the scene of the handbag robbery, after being alerted by the victim, chased the assailants, managed to catch up with them, and recovered the stolen handbag.

“Officers from the National Police and the Local Police of Benidorm attended the scene of both incidents.

“After assisting the victims and taking custody of the two men who had been detained by members of the public, they established the connection between the two crimes in terms of those responsible, determining that both incidents had been committed by these two men.

“They were ultimately arrested on charges of violent robbery, theft, and assault causing bodily harm.

“The victim shown in the video, after receiving treatment at a hospital, was discharged to recover at home.”

Detectives said on Thursday his injuries had fortunately not been that serious, despite the violence he was subjected to. Well-placed sources confirmed he was from the UK.

The suspects were brought before the courts in Benidorm on Tuesday, although it was not immediately clear today if they had been released on bail or remanded in custody.

Tenerife mugging

Last month an elderly British holidaymaker died in Tenerife following a bungled street mugging.

The 88-year-old tourist from Blackpool, Lancs, lost his fight for life in hospital on 19 June two days after being attacked and hitting his head when he was knocked to the ground during a tussle.

He was targeted while he was with his 79-year-old wife Judy, who was injured, outside an apartment block in Los Cristianos in the south of the holiday island where the couple are believed to own a home.

The Brit, named only as Ray, had celebrated his birthday in a local pub a few days before the horror mugging.

Officers later said they had arrested three suspects, including a 34-year-old Senegalese immigrant with previous for similar crimes.

His two alleged accomplices, said to have been waiting for him nearby in a getaway car, were described as a 20-year-old Venezuelan and a 36-year-old Cuban man.