A British man facing a murder charge over the frenzied stabbing of his wife at their Costa del Sol flat has died in hospital and is set to be given a pauper’s funeral.
David Cadwallader, 80, passed away less than a month after being remanded in custody following the brutal killing of his wife Lesley.
Reports at the time said she had phoned the emergency services in a desperate SOS call to say she had been knifed four times before the line went dead.
Her husband, who was thought to have Alzheimer’s, was discovered lying on a bed at their beachfront apartment in Torremolinos and arrested after police forced entry with the help of firefighters.
A judge decided to send him to prison while he continued to investigate him over the November 4 killing, although officials confirmed at the time he had been transferred to a specialist psychiatric wing.
The front door of the couple’s £130,000 first-floor flat was sealed with police tape after the horror stabbing with a warning sign that said ‘Do not enter.’
David Cadwallader, 80, passed away less than a month after being remanded in custody. He was facing a murder charge over the frenzied stabbing of his wife at their Costa del Sol flat
Today it emerged Mr Cadwallader had died at the start of December, although news of his passing has only just been confirmed.
Well placed sources said a court was still waiting for his pauper’s funeral, set to be paid for by his local town hall because he was penniless, to be approved before terminating plans to try him if he had been deemed fit for prosecution.
Although the expat had officially been placed under investigation he had yet to be formally charged with any crime at the time of his death.
A court official said: ‘The British man arrested over the violent death of his wife last November at their home in Torremolinos died on December 2.
‘As he didn’t have sufficient financial resources, the court is waiting on the approval of his local council-paid funeral.
‘After that happens the case against him will be stayed.’
Another insider added: ‘The likelihood is that he would have faced a murder charge but his death means there can now be no prosecution. His passing means he is now out of reach of the courts.’
The cause of Mr Cadwallader’s death has not been made public, although there is nothing to suggest there was anything suspicious about it.
A Spanish Prison Service source confirmed Mr Cadwallader had died in hospital after a spell in jail, pointing to it being the result of natural causes.
The hospital where he passed away has not been named but is believed to be in Malaga near where he lived with his 69-year-old wife.
Police had to call firefighters to access the couple’s flat after murdered Lesley, thought to come originally from Kent like her husband, made a desperate emergency call after being knifed several times.
A neighbour of the couple’s in the 12-storey 1970s apartment block confirmed at the time police had made a failed attempt to smash down the door before gaining access via another entry at the back
The weapon was seized at the scene.
Detectives revealed after Mr Cadwallader’s arrest he had been held three times prior to the night of the fatal stabbing for alleged domestic violence, but was released on each occasion because his wife decided against pressing charges.
Police said in statements at the time: ‘A man aged 80 allegedly killed his wife aged 69.
‘The victim received several stab wounds with a bladed weapon. The suspected killer has been arrested.
‘It would appear he has a psychological illness with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
‘In the last few months the suspected killer had been arrested three times for domestic violence.
‘According to the police reports he had been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s.
‘His wife decided not to ratify her complaints in court and the cases were archived. She never asked for any protective measures.’
Mr Cadwallader was sent to prison on November 7 last year after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing following three nights in a police cell.
The front door of the couple’s £130,000 first-floor flat was sealed with police tape after the horror stabbing with a warning sign that said ‘Do not enter.’
The doorframe was badly damaged in a clear sign officers responding to the emergency call from the stab victim had tried to force entry.
A neighbour of the couple’s in the 12-storey 1970s apartment block, which used to be an apart-hotel, confirmed at the time police had made a failed attempt to smash it down before gaining access via another entry at the back.
Police had to call firefighters to access the couple’s flat after murdered Lesley made a desperate emergency call after being knifed several times
He added: ‘They’ve lived here for ages, probably around 30 years.
‘I’d heard they were both heavy drinkers and police have been around before to deal with what I presume were domestic disputes.
‘A lot of foreigners live in this block and I know they used to help new arrivals find their feet here.
‘I never saw any younger people visiting that might have been relatives and I was told they had already decided to donate their flat to an animal sanctuary when they died.’
Another neighbour said: ‘I didn’t hear any shouting or arguing before the police arrived.
‘They tried to smash the door down but couldn’t get through it and ended up getting in via an entrance round the back.
‘It’s so horrific that it’s ended in this way.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
