A Portuguese couple, whose 23-year-old son died two years ago after being attacked by an English nightclub bouncer in a bar in Albufeira, are outraged at the failure of the authorities to bring the agressor to justice.
“What kind of justice is this? I asked for the man who killed my son to be held under pre-trial detention but the Albufeira Court said there was no risk of him fleeing. And now they cannot even find him,” Helena Salvador, mother of the victim Ricardo Teixeira, told Correio da Manhã newspaper.
She added that the situation is “unacceptable”.
The bouncer, John Hodgson, age 23, was due to appear in court in March this year but fled to the UK right after the incident.
The Albufeira court informed the British authorities about the trial that was set to begin, but no answer was received and the hearing was rescheduled for April 24 of next year.
The tragedy took place on July 7, 2011 at Matt’s Bar when Ricardo, who was in a drunken state, was elbowed in the face by the bouncer. It is reported he lost his balance, fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a fractured skull. He died from brain damage a week later at Faro Hospital.
The Public Prosecutor in Portugal believes Hodgson had no intention of killing Ricardo but he may face a charge of causing grievous bodily harm which resulted in his death.
Now, more than two years after the incident, it has still not been possible to trace Hodgson in the UK, according to the CM report.
