- Martin Allwright, 59, was allegedly attacked by his neighbour on August 12
- He died a week later having suffered a serious brain injury in the assault
A British widow living in Spain is appealing for help with legal fees after her husband was allegedly killed with a garden hoe.
Martin Allwright, 59, was allegedly attacked by a neighbour in the town of Zurgena in southeast Spain’s Almeria region earlier this month after the pair reportedly became locked in a row over the victim walking his dog ‘too close to his home’.
The enraged neighbour is said to have hit Mr Allwright over the head with the garden implement, causing a severe brain injury.
Mr Allwright was rushed to La Inmaculada Hospital some 20 minutes from Zurgena for surgery but doctors were unable to save him and he passed away a week after the brutal attack.
Now, his widow Sarah is raising money to help cover the legal costs while she pursues justice for her late husband.
Martin Allwright, 59, was allegedly attacked by a neighbour in the town of Zurgena in southeast Spain’s Almeria region
The enraged neighbour is said to have hit Mr Allwright over the head with a garden implement, causing a severe brain injury
Mr Allwright was rushed to La Inmaculada Hospital some 20 minutes from Zurgena for surgery but doctors were unable to save him
Appealing for help on GoFundMe, the widow wrote: ‘My name is Sarah Allwright. I am the wife of Martin Allwright.
‘Martin was the victim of a brutal attack on 12th August 2024. He was hit on the back of the head with a sharp garden implement.
‘He received brain surgery and was in hospital for a week, but sadly lost his life on Monday 19th August.
‘I have engaged a criminal lawyer in order to punish the man who did this.
‘The fees for this will be at least 18,000 euros. I have had to pay the initial payment of 9,000 euros this week.
‘I am asking for help with this as this cost is huge to me. It is not something I ever thought I would have to do. Any help would be so much appreciated.’
Thanking the supporters, Sarah added: ‘Thank you so much for the donations so far.
‘Martin had a great many friends and he was always up for a laugh.
‘His great passion was Exeter Chiefs rugby and it will be sad that he won’t be watching the start of the new season with me.’
Sarah’s appeal had raised more than €5,000 of a €9,000 target at the time of writing.
Police arrested a suspect following the assault in a small town called Zurgena in the province of Almeria (pictured) in south-east Spain
The victim was rushed to La Inmaculada Hospital in Huercal-Overa a 20-minute drive from Zurgena with severe head injuries but died a week after the attack occurred
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the local police force said detectives had resolved the case and it is now in the hands of a local court.
Sources close to the investigation said a man believed to be the neighbour was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide following the attack just after 1am on August 12.
He is now facing a new upgraded charge of homicide.
It was not immediately clear today whether the row over the dog thought to have sparked the violent attack was related to noise the animal was making or caused by something else.
Zurgena, which has a population of just under 3,000, is located in the Almanzora valley close to the towns of Albox, Huercal-Overa and Los Carasoles.
It is a 40-minute drive from the tourist resorts of Mojacar and Vera and about an hour and a half from the provincial capital Almeria.
