Son quizzed over father’s death in Spanish campsite

A British tourist has been arrested on suspicion of killing his father during a fight on a family camping holiday in Spain.

The 45-year-old, named locally as Ian John Bennett, was detained as dad Douglas, 69, was rushed to hospital after being discovered unconscious at a campsite in the Costa Brava village of Estartit near Barcelona.

He died shortly after being admitted to hospital in the nearby city of Girona on Friday morning.

A police spokesman said: “The victim was taken by emergency services to hospital to be attended for the wounds he suffered, while local police in Torroella de Montgri arrested the alleged perpetrator for domestic violence.

“The victim died on Friday morning and investigators from the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan regional police) took on the case.”

A security guard raised the alarm after finding Mr Bennett, from Chard, Somerset, lying unconscious on the ground.

The family had been staying in a mobile home at a campsite called Castell Montgri.

A post mortem was due to take place yesterday to confirm police suspicions the victim died from a punch to the head or a head injury he suffered in a fall.

The findings could influence the type of charge his son may face.

Local reports said father and son had a drunken row which turned into a fist fight as tempers flared.

Officers found nothing that could have been used as a weapon during a search of the area.

Castell Montgri campsite is located at the foot of the Rocamaura mountain, next to the coastal village of Estartit.

The Bennetts had booked their trip through Lifestyle Holidays, which specialises in mobile home holidays to France, Spain and Italy.

No one from the firm, which is based in Manchester, was available for comment.

The dead man’s wife Gloria has told authorities she wants to repatriate her husband’s body as soon as possible.

A local undertaker’s is now waiting for a judge to authorise collection after the autopsy so it can organise the repatriation.

Police have 72 hours from the time of arrest to question the dead man’s son before handing him over to an investigating magistrate, who will then be tasked with a full judicial

probe.