A BRITISH tourist has been arrested in Benidorm for trying to drown a woman at Poniente beach and then burying a child’s face in the sand.
The double assault happened last Tuesday but details were only released at the weekend.
The 44-year-old Brit later tried to take his life in a police cell.
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He was remanded into custody by a court and faces charges of attempted murder, causing injury, and making threats.
Neither of the two victims had any connection to the man.
The first attack was on a Norwegian woman, 34, who was swimming with her boyfriend.
The man grabbed her by the neck and submerged her head in the water.
The victim was able to escape after struggling with the aggressor plus the intervention of other bathers.
After exiting the sea, the man came across a five-year-old boy, who was the son of a Spanish couple.
He also grabbed him by the neck and buried his head in the sand with the intention of suffocating him.
Holidaymakers rushed to the child’s rescue, with the British man being subdued by a lifeguard.
Benidorm’s Policia Local were called and they arrested him.
The Informacion newspaper reported that he was violent in the patrol car, lashing and kicking out at officers.
Once he was locked up in the police cells, he grabbed a blanket and tied it to one of the bars on the front door in an attempt to take his life.
Officers stopped that from happening and he was handcuffed to prevent a repeat attempt.
He was then taken to the Marina Baixa Hospital in Villajoyosa for an examination to see if he had been taking drugs.
The Brit was subsequently returned to police cells ahead of his court appearance.
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