A former holiday representative has testified that Spanish police officers involved in the death of British tourist Luke Rhoden threatened her, saying 'You'll be next'. Annabelle Smith, 24, captured footage of Guardia Civil officers restraining Rhoden before he died outside her apartment in San Antonio, Ibiza.
An inquest jury in Bolton, Greater Manchester, concluded that Rhoden, 25, died of asphyxiation caused by excessive restraining methods and an adverse reaction to drugs. Smith told the jury she stopped filming after an officer visited her apartment and warned her to switch off her phone or face the same fate.
Smith, who worked as a Thomson holiday rep at the time, described seeing Rhoden with a black eye and blood on his face. She said officers used a silver baton, digging it into his back, and one appeared to sit on his legs. She estimated Rhoden was struck between five and ten times.
Smith heard Rhoden shout 'they're going to kill me' and believed he meant the police. She claimed she knew of a female colleague who had been beaten by police and a DJ assaulted weeks earlier. The coroner praised Smith and other witnesses for coming forward.
Rhoden's father, Norman, and solicitor Nick Turner are urging young people to avoid Ibiza until the officers involved are identified. Turner stated, 'This is not the end of the matter, this is the beginning of the fight for justice in Spain,' and alleged a cover-up by Spanish authorities.
