Stabbing prompted by smoking row

A 35-YEAR-old Spanish man was arrested in San Vicente del Raspeig for alleged attempted murder.

At the time of his arrest officers found him on the sixth floor of an apartment block throwing large objects into the street below, “including tables, chairs, and whatever else he could get his hands on; putting pedestrians and vehicles in danger.”

“Damage was caused to one of the cars parked below,” according to officers. The alleged assailant “had a bleeding wound in his head, was threatening to kill himself and threatened officers with a large knife.”

The assault on the victim took place following an argument about the anti-smoking law at a nearby cafe. “The assailant stabbed the victim repeatedly in the head and neck,” stated officers. “A customer intervened and hit the assailant over the head with a stool, thus preventing him from inflicting further injuries on the victim.”

The victim was taken to Alicante General Hospital for treatment to the various stab wounds in his neck and ear and was discharged after two days. Officers went to the adjoining terrace to negotiate and distract him while another officer approached him from behind and was able to disarm him without anybody else getting hurt.

The detainee was taken to St John’s Hospital to receive several stitches to his wound, after which he was arrested on suspicion of a crime of attempted murder, resisting arrest and damaging property.