Beorn
06-12-2009, 05:51 PM
Father in coma after he is hurled off 25ft Spanish holiday balcony defending sons from 'anti-British' attack
A British holiday maker is fighting for his life last night after being thrown 25ft off a balcony by an 'anti-British' Spanish mob.
Witnesses say Stephen Mallon, 49, who is in a coma, was set upon outside a bar in a village near Malaga where he owns a property.
It is claimed Mr Mallon was the victim of a 'premeditated anti-British attack' by a gang of up to 30 men.
A friend said locals in the tiny cobbled village of Competa resented the English for moving into the area.
He said Mr Mallon had taken his twin sons and their friends on holiday to celebrate their 17th birthdays.
While the group were in a bar a scuffle allegedly broke out between them and some local youths.
According to the friend, Mr Mallon, who was in another part of the bar by himself, saw what was happening left with the teenagers.
But outside, a large group of men were waiting for them and launched a violent attack which resulted in Mr Mallon being picked up and thrown off the balcony, it was claimed.
The friend, who did not want to be named, said: 'It was a deliberate attack because they were British.
'There is a lot of anti-British feeling in the village and they stick out like a sore thumb there.
'Steve looks British, he's got a bald head and a huge smile, and he was walking around with his twin boys - they were an obvious target for this sort of thing.'
Mr Mallon, who lives in Bournemouth is now in a deep coma at the Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga with his wife Teresa, a 40-year-old hairdresser by his side.
Their daughter Jenny, 20, a student, has also travelled to Spain to be with her brothers Carl and Peter, who are both trainee plumbers.
The friend, who works with Mr Mallon in his roofing business and has previously stayed with him in Competa said the group had visited a bar but left after a run in with some locals.
He said: 'When they got outside, they saw there were about 30 grown men surrounding them, blocking all the exits.
'They had armed themselves with coshes, planks of wood, broken bottles - it was clearly a premeditated attack.
'Before they knew it, they were being battered and beaten with sticks. The boys are keen sportsmen and they're really fit - the police told them that was probably the only reason they survived.
'While they were trying to defend themselves they saw their dad being picked up by three Spanish men and thrown over the balcony.
'It was deliberate, no doubt about it. He landed on his head and just lay there bleeding on the ground.
'All five boys were left bruised head to toe, one twin was smashed in the face with a plank and has a broken nose, and the other has a broken arm in a sling.
'It's a remote place, so it took the ambulance and police about half an hour to get there anyway, but they were stopped by the gang throwing things at them and getting in the way.'
He said of his colleague: He's in a very bad way indeed.
'The doctors told Teresa he has a ten per cent chance of living. He's got fluid and blood on the brain, he's on a ventilator, and he hasn't woken up in a week.
'The boys are very shaken. They're devastated.
'There's nothing they can do now except wait and hope Steve wakes up.'
The Guardia Civil police carried out the initial investigation, but the matter has now been passed to the Judical Police.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said they were in contact with Mr Mallon's family.
He said: 'He is still hospitalised, it would appear with serious injuries.
'A number of people have been detained following the incident.'
Source (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1192522/British-father-hurled-25ft-balcony-attacked-Spanish-mob-British.html)
A British holiday maker is fighting for his life last night after being thrown 25ft off a balcony by an 'anti-British' Spanish mob.
Witnesses say Stephen Mallon, 49, who is in a coma, was set upon outside a bar in a village near Malaga where he owns a property.
It is claimed Mr Mallon was the victim of a 'premeditated anti-British attack' by a gang of up to 30 men.
A friend said locals in the tiny cobbled village of Competa resented the English for moving into the area.
He said Mr Mallon had taken his twin sons and their friends on holiday to celebrate their 17th birthdays.
While the group were in a bar a scuffle allegedly broke out between them and some local youths.
According to the friend, Mr Mallon, who was in another part of the bar by himself, saw what was happening left with the teenagers.
But outside, a large group of men were waiting for them and launched a violent attack which resulted in Mr Mallon being picked up and thrown off the balcony, it was claimed.
The friend, who did not want to be named, said: 'It was a deliberate attack because they were British.
'There is a lot of anti-British feeling in the village and they stick out like a sore thumb there.
'Steve looks British, he's got a bald head and a huge smile, and he was walking around with his twin boys - they were an obvious target for this sort of thing.'
Mr Mallon, who lives in Bournemouth is now in a deep coma at the Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga with his wife Teresa, a 40-year-old hairdresser by his side.
Their daughter Jenny, 20, a student, has also travelled to Spain to be with her brothers Carl and Peter, who are both trainee plumbers.
The friend, who works with Mr Mallon in his roofing business and has previously stayed with him in Competa said the group had visited a bar but left after a run in with some locals.
He said: 'When they got outside, they saw there were about 30 grown men surrounding them, blocking all the exits.
'They had armed themselves with coshes, planks of wood, broken bottles - it was clearly a premeditated attack.
'Before they knew it, they were being battered and beaten with sticks. The boys are keen sportsmen and they're really fit - the police told them that was probably the only reason they survived.
'While they were trying to defend themselves they saw their dad being picked up by three Spanish men and thrown over the balcony.
'It was deliberate, no doubt about it. He landed on his head and just lay there bleeding on the ground.
'All five boys were left bruised head to toe, one twin was smashed in the face with a plank and has a broken nose, and the other has a broken arm in a sling.
'It's a remote place, so it took the ambulance and police about half an hour to get there anyway, but they were stopped by the gang throwing things at them and getting in the way.'
He said of his colleague: He's in a very bad way indeed.
'The doctors told Teresa he has a ten per cent chance of living. He's got fluid and blood on the brain, he's on a ventilator, and he hasn't woken up in a week.
'The boys are very shaken. They're devastated.
'There's nothing they can do now except wait and hope Steve wakes up.'
The Guardia Civil police carried out the initial investigation, but the matter has now been passed to the Judical Police.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said they were in contact with Mr Mallon's family.
He said: 'He is still hospitalised, it would appear with serious injuries.
'A number of people have been detained following the incident.'
Source (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1192522/British-father-hurled-25ft-balcony-attacked-Spanish-mob-British.html)