Fall death great-grandfather was murdered in Benidorm, inquest hears

A British great-grandfather who is thought to have fallen to his death outside Benidorm, was murdered, an inquest has heard.

Alan Rankin, 75, from Nottinghamshire, was found at the bottom of a cliff roughly one mile away from the Costa Blanca city in October 2014. He became separated from his son-in-law after a meal and some drinks, just one day into his family holiday.

Spanish police had ruled that he died from an accidental fall, but the senior coroner for Nottingham heard on Tuesday that he was actually murdered with a hammer. Guardia Civil may have suspected he was murdered, the inquest heard.

A British forensic pathologist told the inquest that Rankin had suffered severe head injuries before his death.

Evidence was also heard from Detective Inspector Mike Allen who had investigated Rankin’s death. He told the inquest that the evidence pointed towards assault from a third party and said his team were continually frustrated by a lack of cooperation from the Guardia Civil.

Mr Rankin’s family have long maintained that the explanation offered by Spanish police was flawed. They ask how he could have travelled from the restaurant he was eating in to the cliff top with his serious mobility issues, and point to the €450 missing from his wallet.

“We know it was murder,” Rankin’s brother David told the inquest. 

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