A 72-year-old British man shot and killed his 55-year-old wife yesterday afternoon and then shot himself. The crime occurred in the couple's villa (pictured) in the town of San Fulgencio in Alicante a small town, popular with tourists. The bodies were not discovered until quarter past ten in the evening, when a neighbour alerted the police after getting no response when he called on the couple.
According to information released by the mayor of the town, Trinidad Martínez, it appears that the man killed his wife, also British, with a shotgun while she was sleeping and then turned the gun on himself, firing one fatal shot.
The motive for the crime is as yet unknown. The couple were well known in San Fulgencio and were not thought to have financial problems. The man had had several strokes over the past few years, but appeared to be recovering well.
The neighbour who had alerted the police was supposed to have taken them to Alicante airport yesterday afternoon to collect the man's sister who was coming to visit from the UK. when they did not turn up and there was no reply at the house, he decided to call the police.
The bodies have been removed to the morgue in Alicante where autopsies will be carried out.The mayor told the press she was 'dismayed' by the incident in this otherwise quiet town. According to the latest census, the population of San Fulgencio is 8,197, 77% of whom are foreigners. There are 3,658 Brits living there, compared with 2,496 Spaniards.
Source - Think Spain
