A British pensioner has died after being attacked by intruders who broke into his Spanish home.
The 81-year-old was rushed to hospital after being assaulted by burglars in Estepa near Seville on Sunday evening. He was admitted to the nearby Merced Hospital in Osuna but died in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police have confirmed the victim was a British expat, adding that an investigation is still underway with detectives hunting those responsible.
Friends have paid tribute to the pensioner who was named locally as Albert Boyden after the break-in that led to his death at around 7pm on Sunday.
Lorna Eade wrote on Facebook: “RIP Albert, lovely man.”
A Spanish pal added: “My friend Albert Boyden has died. A great man who always had a smile on his face."
Although police have confirmed the British expat said he had been pushed to the ground by one of the intruders and do not believe he was the victim of a “beating” as Spanish press initially reported, the friend added: “Three madmen entered his home on Sunday around 7pm, beat him up and took the few things he owned.
“I hope the police catch them and they rot in jail. Rest in peace dear Albert.”
The dead man is believed to have lived in Estepa, a town of just over 12,000 inhabitants famous for producing the traditional sweets eaten by Spanish families at Christmas, for several years. He lived alone in a white-washed terraced house.
A town hall source: “Local police went to the property on Sunday evening at the request of the Civil Guard following an emergency call.
“They spoke to the British pensioner at the scene who told them several individuals had entered his property with the intention of robbing him.
“He had an injury to his face but nothing to suggest he had been beaten up as the initial reports about this incident suggested. He was taken to hospital and went home a few hours later after being treated.
"Around 24 hours later local police were asked to go to the same property and found emergency medical responders assisting the same man. He was taken to hospital and died in the early hours of Wednesday morning.”
The autopsy is believed to have taken place already but the results have not been made pubic, as is normal in Spain.
Estepa is a town and municipality in the extreme south-east of the province of Seville. It is located north of the Sierra del Becerro mountains. As well as being known for its production of Christmas-time sweets called mantecados in Spanish, tourism is a major part of the local economy along with agriculture like olive-growing.
Local reports say police are hunting three suspects, although detectives were not able to confirm the number today.
A Scottish neighbour of Mr Boyden’s told today how he found the British expat lying on the floor inside his home when he went to check up on him.
English teacher Ben Seidel, 25, originally from Edinburgh: “I knocked on his door and there was no answer at first.
“I knocked again and heard him saying, ‘I’m on the floor.’
“I raced to get a key from another neighbour and found lying on the ground with his dog next to him when I got in.
“He was very disoriented but he said three guys came in and beat him up and he had terrible head pains.
“He looked roughed up although I wouldn’t necessarily say he looked as if he had been beaten up.
“He wasn’t able to walk or stand up and it was difficult to get him to move.
“The whole house was turned upside-down. It looked as if it had been ransacked.”
He added: “Me and my family took care of him. That was our relationship with him.
“What’s happened has left us all very shocked.”
Ben’s mum Karen, 66, also from Edinburgh, added: “Albert wouldn’t hurt a fly. It’s terrible what’s happened.
“He was like an uncle to me. I used to keep an eye on him.
“He loved history. That was one of his passions.”
Mr Boyden, originally from the London Borough of Croydon, used to work for East Sussex Council.
He had been living in Estepa for around three and a half years.
He had two dogs which friends are now looking after.
Neighbours said Mr Boyden rented the house where he was attacked from a former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Seville, which is investigating the incident, confirmed: “A British man aged 81 has died following a break-in at his home in Estepa near Seville. Officers responded to the incident around 7pm on Sunday and took the victim to hospital.
“He died in the early hours of Wednesday morning. No arrests have yet been made and we are still investigating.”
A police source added: “The victim told officers he had been pushed by one of the intruders as he tried to resist the break-in. He fell to the ground and was taken to hospital and tragically died some days later.
“He didn’t make a formal statement to police before he died and officers are working on the basis of what he told police at the scene before his admission to hospital.
“Officers are still investigating what if anything was taken and that has been complicated by the fact there is no formal statement and the victim was not able to give a detailed account of the incident to detectives before he was hospitalised.”
It is understood the dead man was told he could go home hours after the break-in, and died after being readmitted to La Merced Hospital in Osuna.
Hospital chiefs have not yet made any comment.
