Costa Blanca

Kirsty Maxwell Benidorm balcony death to be probed in new series

A new series expects the five men who last saw Kirsty Maxwell alive to provide answers in a podcast that investigates her mysterious death in Spain.

After a night out on a hen do in 2017, Kirsty, a newlywed, plummeted to her death from a balcony at a hotel in Benidorm.

Before her death, Kirsty, 27, of Livingston, inadvertently entered a 10th-floor flat that was occupied by five British men: Joseph Graham, Ricky Gammon, Anthony Holehouse, Callum Northridge and Daniel Bailey.

In July 2020, they were cleared of being homicide suspects after judges determined that there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and no indication that she had not fallen to her death.

Nevertheless, Kirsty’s mother and father, who are devastated, are adamant that she did not leap of her own volition. The case and an appeal for information are the focus of the six-part podcast, “What happened to Kirsty Maxwell.”

True Crime podcaster Naomi Channell, who narrates and produces the series, says, “I do not believe it was a tragic accident.” All the evidence suggests that she was fleeing from something.

“There are still numerous unanswered questions.”

“It is my sincere hope that this will exert pressure on the authorities and on those who were present in the flat but have never been adequately investigated.”

Naomi met Kirsty’s family at a UK Crimecon convention in 2023, where she was present with Sue Horan, the wife of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away under suspicious circumstances at the residence of television personality Michael Barrymore in 2001.

In her podcast, she recounts how upon Kirsty’s arrival at the apartments with her friends, “a shirtless man” approached them at the elevators and enquired, “Who wants to get f*** tonight?”

Kirsty returned to the apartments early in the morning after a night out, during which she consumed alcohol but did not have any narcotics in her system.

It is unclear why she awoke, proceeded to the 10th floor, and knocked on the door of room 10E. The room was shared by five men, including the shirtless man, who were all from the Nottingham area.

One of them informed the authorities. Before jumping over the Juliette balcony to her demise, Kirsty attempted to climb through a small window in the bathroom and then ran through the apartment window.

Naomi stated, “Kirsty died instantly after falling at 7.51 a.m.” One of the men reported to the police that he had observed her fall. This individual was the sleeveless man, and his name is Joseph Graham.

Adam, Kirsty’s spouse, received a call from the Spanish police informing him that she had passed away. He was compelled to inform her mother, Denise, of the tragic news. The couple had married only eight months prior.

Brian Curry, her father, expressed his disbelief, stating, “Even to this day, it is extremely difficult to accept.”

The podcast delves into the process by which Kirsty’s family travelled to Benidorm to initiate their own investigation three months after her death, as they encountered a “wall of silence” from the police.

Naomi, a podcaster from Essex, stated, “No parent should ever be required to investigate the death of their own child.”

“Brian requested 12 hours of footage that encompassed the period prior to and following Kirsty’s death; however, the police provided him with only seven minutes of edited footage.

Kirsty’s fall is not depicted in a traumatic three-second footage captured by a camera at the poolside, which captures her impact with the ground. Brian is of the opinion that the footage was edited by an individual.

“According to investigators, the remaining CCTV footage has disappeared.” The police were compelled to acknowledge that they had disposed of the garments the day following Kirsty’s death. Her attire would have served as indispensable evidence.

“They claimed that the reason was that the clothing was stained with blood.” They acknowledged that the only method of examination was visual.

David Swindle, the retired Strathclyde detective who established Victims Abroad, was astounded by the deficiencies of the investigation.

He stated that the Spanish Police failed to conduct thorough investigations into the evidence, including independent witnesses, and did not advance forensics or CCTV footage.

“These men were not separated and were not interviewed properly.” DNA issues were encountered, samples were not collected, and Kirsty’s clothing was incinerated.

“Throughout my tenure as an investigator, I was unable to comprehend it.” “If we had all of that, we would be better equipped to understand what transpired with Kirsty.”

The podcast, which will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon on April 29, commemorates the eight-year anniversary of Kirsty’s passing.

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Related Topics:Alcohol Benidorm Crime Friends Police Spain

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Costa Blanca

One dead migrant and 16 others dehydrated on boat found 62 miles off Alicante

Javea Maritime Rescue The Spanish Navy has rescued 16 sub-Saharan migrants from a small boat 62 miles off the coast of Alicante, as well as the corpse of another migrant who died during the crossing from Algeria to the Alicante coast. The information collected indicates that the 15 individuals who were rescued are in poor health and dehydrated as a result of their approximately 15-day period of adrift.

The Red Cross and the SAMU (National Rescue Service) were responsible for the treatment of the rescued migrants in Alicante, who were located 42 miles from Javea. Two of them have been transferred to a hospital, and two more are anticipated. The majority of the individuals who were rescued, including several minors, are from Somalia, while one individual is from Nigeria.

According to the Red Cross, the health status of those who are still receiving care is severe, with the majority exhibiting acute symptoms of dehydration, incisions, and infections. The volunteers who are assisting the migrants at the port of Alicante stated that they are extremely frail and can scarcely stand.

The individuals who were rescued disclosed that they embarked on a voyage from the coast of Algeria and were subsequently shipwrecked during the crossing. They were adrift in extreme conditions for approximately fifteen days, without food or water, according to their testimony. As a result, they were compelled to consume urine. According to the Red Cross, “One of the individuals consumed toothpaste due to a lack of alternatives and a reluctance to relinquish control of the boat upon its arrival.”

After the boat was observed on the high seas by air, the Salvamar Fénix of Maritime Rescue, which is stationed in the port of Javea, was mobilised at midday. Upon their arrival at the precarious vessel’s location, they discovered that one of the 17 migrants on board had passed away.

The Salvamar Fénix was directed to the port of Alicante, where it anchored at the Temporary Assistance Centre for Foreigners (CATE), and the remaining individuals were transferred aboard.

The National Police have reported the death of one of the immigrants to the duty court in order to facilitate the arrival of the judicial commission at the port to remove the body and subsequently transmit it to the Alicante Institute of Forensic Medicine.

The Red Cross has also mobilised its response team, and the CICU has dispatched the SAMU (National Emergency Medical Service) in response to the fragile health of the rescued individuals.

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Costa Blanca

Nuca, the turtle rescued two months ago in Torrevieja, returns to the sea

Nuca, the sea turtle that was rescued in February of last year after becoming ensnared in the port of Torrevieja (Alicante), returned to the sea yesterday, Thursday May 8th, after finishing her recovery process at the Oceanogràfic de Valèncià’s ARCA del Mar.

According to a council statement, the mayor, Eduardo Dolón; the councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Antonio Vidal; the municipal biologist, Juan Antonio Pujol; the president of the Real Club Náutico Torrevieja (RCNT), Carlos Carmona; and the veterinary team from the Oceanogràfic Foundation participated in the release from a boat in the waters off Torrevieja.

The municipal biologist and the RCNT were commended by Dolón for their efforts in recovering Nuca, as well as the Oceanogràfic team, for enabling the turtle to return to the waters from which she was rescued. He anticipates that she will soon return to the Torrevieja coast to deposit her eggs on one of its beaches.

A delicate rescue and a complete recovery

Earlier this year, the turtle, which has been named Nuca, was discovered swimming within the port of Torrevieja. Subsequently, they ensnared it and found it consuming the remnants of fishing activity.

The severity of its condition was confirmed by the capture of the animal, which was conducted by specialised divers from the Oceanogràfic Foundation with the assistance of the municipal biologist and the Real Club Náutico Torrevieja. A previous injury had amputated one of its fins, and a hook had lodged in its oesophagus.

After his transfer, the Oceanogràfic veterinary team used an endoscopy to remove the hook and started treatment to ensure his recovery. The positive development of Nuca in the past few months served as confirmation that he was capable of returning to the sea.

Veterinarians implanted a satellite transmitter into him prior to his immersion in the water, which will enable them to track his movements in real time. The objective is to gather data on his movements following rehabilitation and analyse his behaviour to enhance the protection strategies for this species.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is supporting this conservation initiative within the framework of the PRTR, which is funded by the European Union-NextGeneration EU.

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80-year-old woman dies on a beach in Los Alcázares

While bathing in the sea atLos Narejos, a municipality of Los Alcázares, an 80-year-old woman passed away on Thursday.

At 1:33 p.m., the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Region of Murcia received a call informing them that a lifeguard had initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation manoeuvres after several individuals rescued an incapacitated bather from the water.

A patrol from the Civil Protection of Los Alcázares has arrived at the location of the Civil Guard and a Mobile Emergency Unit, which is staffed by health personnel from the Emergency and Health Emergency Management 061. Despite their efforts, they were unable to save the victim.