ISSUE NO. 1599
25 Feb - 2 March 2016
COSTA DEL SOL
Stop Press
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DON’T MISS OUR PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT INSIDE! PAGES 61 - 76
Tragedy of slain hero MURDERED old school policeman fought to the very end
By Matthew Elliott Horror unfolded in Torremolinos as a much-loved pillar of the community was killed in broad daylight by a mentally unstable man who claimed the 75-year-old former police inspector had ‘told his secret’ to the world. The vicious attack saw the local man, known and highly respected for his years of service protecting local residents, stabbed 14 times with a machete following a brief argument outside his home on Boscan street. Outpourings of grief have
swept across a community in shock at the loss of Thomas, who had spent his life working with the Torremolinos police force, even reaching the post of inspector before his retirement. He is the first National Police officer to be murdered in Spain since 2014. The killer, a 63-year-old named Julian, was arrested at the scene and is now in psychiatric care as investigators try to piece together a motive for the attack. Described as “old school” and “hard working,” Thomas worked at the Torremolinos-
Benalmadena station where he made many friends and received various public awards for his service to the community. After suffering a stroke a few years ago, he enlisted a Zimmer frame to walk on his daily errands, greeting friends and picking up his papers.
Despite his incapacity, Thomas fought valiantly against his attacker, suffering wounds to his hands, and arms in the onslaught, in a fitting testament to his fighting spirit and policing instincts. It is a tragic end to a life well lived.