Walter Finch
A BRITISH tourist died after being put in a rear naked choke at a nightclub in Gran Canaria.
A call was made reporting that a man was lying lifeless on the ground outside the venue in Playa del Ingles in the early hours of July 27.
Police at first believed the victim had died of a heart attack after taking drugs.
However, marks found on his neck revealed that he had been killed using the infamous martial arts technique that restricts blood to the brain.
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A witness reported seeing a nightclub employee grab the victim by the neck after the tourist as the tourist started acting erratically.
The technique involves wrapping one arm around the opponent’s neck, with the hand of that arm reaching behind the opponent’s head while the other hand locks the choke by gripping the bicep or hand.
CCTV footage from the nightclub corroborated this account, and a subsequent autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation.
A man, believed to be the nightclub worker, has been arrested in connection with the killing and remanded in custody.
A police spokesperson said: “Officers have arrested a 47-year-old man with no prior criminal record as the suspected perpetrator of the murder.
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“Several police units responded along with other emergency services.
“Upon arrival, they confirmed the death of an English tourist and cordoned off the area.
“Investigators began gathering information from witnesses and staff, as well as from the deceased’s friends and companions.
“Preliminary information suggested that the deceased had suffered a heart attack because, according to his friends, he had used drugs that night.
“But marks were found on his neck, and his body was taken to the island’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for further analysis.
“Several witnesses told police they saw a staff member performing a move known as ‘Mata Leo’ on a man, because the British tourist had become overly excited.
“When he calmed down, he fell to the ground.
“CCTV footage was later reviewed, and evidence was found that an employee of the nightclub had grabbed the victim by the neck before he collapsed.
“The cause of death in the forensic report is strangulation.”
Police immediately started a manhunt for the suspect, fearing he might flee. He was soon found and arrested and sent to jail.
