Cash appeal begins for fresh probe into young dad's death

Published on Saturday 14 November 2009 10:19

THE family of a young Edinburgh father who was killed in Spain have launched a fundraising campaign in an attempt to force a fresh inquiry into his death.

Thomas Patterson, 21, died after being hit by a car on a dual carriageway near the coast at Playa Flamenca, in Alicante, in July.

However, his family believe he may have been attacked and robbed before his death, and are now attempting to raise money to pay for a Spanish lawyer in the hope of pressing for a new investigation into the case.

The development comes as friends of the former junior boxing champion, who lived in Moredun, held a boxing event at a city hotel in his memory, ringing a traditional ten-bell salute.

Police in Spain ruled that Mr Patterson, father of an 18-month-old son, Thomas James, was killed in an accident involving a single driver, who was cleared of any wrongdoing.

But Mr Patterson's mother, Agnes, 52, said her son had been seen arguing with an "angry mob" shortly before his death.

The family had been backing calls by one of Scotland's most senior judges, former Lord President Lord Cullen, recommending that inquiries are held in Scotland into the deaths of Scots abroad.

But they now look set to focus their efforts on securing a new inquiry in Spain after becoming frustrated by the amount of time legal changes at home are taking.

Mrs Patterson said: "It could take years for this legislation and we don't know if we've got years to wait.

"We've decided to hold some fundraisers to raise the money to try and get a lawyer in Spain.

"I'm not going to get justice with Scottish law, and I can't continue living and not knowing what's happened to my son – it's heartbreaking."

Mr Patterson was found at 3:20am on 17 July near the Villa Martin Roundabout, in the coastal region of La Zenia, about a mile from where he had been drinking.

Friends who were with Mr Patterson reported seeing him arguing with an angry mob shortly before he disappeared. He had been just hours into a sunshine break with his friends at the time.

Mrs Patterson said she hoped to raise an initial 5,000 through a series of boxing fundraisers to help pay for a Spanish lawyer.

Last night, at a memorial event at the Edinburgh Capital Hotel in Clermiston, boxers fought for the first-ever Thomas Patterson Memorial Shield.

Rab Younger, of Gilmerton Boxing Club, said: "I trained Thomas as a boxer and he was just a happy-go-lucky laddie. We thought this event would be a way of paying our respects."