A British man killed by a Spanish neighbor with a garden hoe was reportedly part of an “expat hooligan” community, according to the suspect’s lawyer. Martin Allwright, 59, succumbed to head injuries on August 19 after being attacked by one of his neighbors in southern Spain.
José Ramos, who has confessed to hitting Allwright with a garden hoe, claims that the British man had threatened him first and that he had previously reported Allwright to the police. Defense lawyer José Ramón Cantalejo described Ramos as a Spaniard in his fifties with no prior criminal record who has fully cooperated with the investigation.
Cantalejo also noted that local Spaniards in El Palacés de Zurgena, a village in Almería popular with British retirees, often feel intimidated by the behavior of some expatriates. He suggested that many British residents in the area are perceived as disruptive.
The incident has highlighted tensions between local residents and the expatriate community in the region.
The lawyer argued that many British expatriates in the region “do not learn a single word of Spanish in 10 or 15 years and yet they believe this is their territory.” He added, “These individuals sell their homes in Glasgow or Birmingham to retire here, living like royalty without adapting to the local culture.”
The lawyer claimed that Martin Allwright, from Exeter, who had a GoFundMe campaign launched by his wife for legal fees, instigated the confrontation that led to the fatal assault. According to the lawyer, Allwright approached José Ramos and his wife while holding a stone and accompanied by his “dangerous dogs.”
José Ramón Cantalejo stated that Ramos only intervened to protect himself and his wife, using the garden hoe in self-defense,. He also criticized the influence of the 34,000-strong British community in Almería, suggesting that their presence had unfairly pressured the judge to remand Ramos in custody despite his cooperation with the investigation.
