Two Mersey men due in court over Spanish murder

Jan 15 2008 by Aaron Boland

TWO Merseyside men are expected to appear in a Spanish court today accused of the murder of a 26-year-old British man.

Richard Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffiths, 22, were arrested at Palma Airport, Majorca, as they were buying tickets to Britain on Sunday.

Daniel Hastelow was stabbed in the back and chest while he was sleeping in an apartment in the party resort of Magaluf after a Saturday night out with friends to celebrate his 26th birthday.

Daniel was reportedly stabbed three times and at least once in the neck, suffering wounds to his liver and a lung.

He is believed to have staggered down two flights of stairs and collapsed on to the street after being attacked.

It is alleged Daniel had argued with one of the arrested men in a town bar.

A fight involving Daniel and other revellers is said to have erupted before police intervened.

Emergency crews were alerted but he died shortly after in a Palma hospital.

Residents at the Playa Mar Apartments where Daniel lived told police they saw two men armed with a knife and a baseball bat force their way in at around 4.30am on Sunday.

Daniel is believed to have been sleeping on the floor of his friend's apartment when his killers struck.

A worker at the Playa Mar complex, said yesterday: “Daniel was staying with his mate while he looked for a place. I think he came over in August to live and work.

“I met him a couple of times and he seemed a decent lad. It's a tragedy what's happened and comes as a massive shock to all of us here.”

Residents and holidaymakers at the yellow brick two-floor complex were being questioned as police officers combed the area for clues.

Early reports that Daniel was also from Liverpool have been corrected by the Foreign Office.

Officials there say neither his place of birth nor the location of his next of kin were in Liverpool.

It is thought Roberts and Griffiths will be held in jail by an investigating judge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Majorca murder

Jan 14 2008 by Ben Rossington, Liverpool Echo

A MERSEYSIDE man has been stabbed to death in Majorca.

Daniel Hastelow, 26, died after celebrating his birthday during the early hours of yesterday morning.

Two men from Liverpool were under arrest today after being stopped as they tried to leave the Spanish island.

Mr Hastelow had left the UK to build a new life in the resort of Magaluf as a bricklayer.

He was out celebrating on Saturday night with friends but was later knifed at his apartment.

He had been stabbed three times in the back and at least once in the neck, the blade reportedly piercing his liver and a lung.

Spanish police say Mr Hastelow died in hospital two hours later.

The attack happened shortly after the victim is alleged to have argueed in a bar with one of the men arrested. Police stopped two men as they tried to buy tickets back to Britain at Palma Airport.

Richard Henry Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffiths, 22, were being questioned today and are expected to appear before an investigating judge tomorrow.

It is expected they will be held in jail on a charge of suspected murder.