A FORMER senior detective who snared serial killer Peter Tobin believes a couple who were staying at the same apartments where Scots holidaymaker Kirsty Maxwell died could hold vital clues.
David Swindle, a former detective with the then Strathclyde Police who is now involved in investigating the deaths of Scots abroad, says the family searching for the truth about their daughter’s death deserve to know what happened to her.
Drawing on his experience in high profile murder probes, including catching Tobin for the murder of Angelika Kluk in Glasgow in 2006, he formed Victims Abroad.
Read more: Parents of balcony fall death victim Kirsty Maxwell in bid to help others
And with the launch of a recent podcast series Swindle’s Search for the Truth, it is hoped that it will help to raise the profile of several unsolved cases including that of Kirsty Maxwell.
While it might be five years on, Mr Swindle still believes that holidaymakers staying at the Benidorm resort can help.
Swindle's Search for the Truth podcast has highlighted Kirsty Maxwell's case
Kirsty was with a group of friends on a hen weekend in Benidorm, Spain, when she died after falling from a 10th floor balcony in the holiday resort on April 29, 2017.
Her parents Denise and Brian Curry, from Livingston, West Lothian, are still searching for the truth about what happened.
Mr Swindle, who took up the case to help the family, said they discovered that a couple, staying at a hotel close to the Apartamentos Payma where Kirsty had been staying, alerted a cleaner that a body was lying by the pool, but it is thought they soon checked out. The couple were staying at the Hotel Presidente which overlooked the apartments.
“This English-speaking couple have never been found, so have never been spoken to and they could be important potential witnesses. They saw her body lying there,” said Mr Swindle. “There is also a mystery female as well who we believe has never been interviewed by police. Foreign travel has opened up again and people tend to be creatures of habit and return to the same places so that’s why we are still appealing to come forward.”
Many questions remain unanswered about how Kirsty died. At 5am Kirsty and two of her friends returned to their apartment, and at 6.50am one of her friends in the same apartment as Kirsty recorded a video of her sleeping.
Read more: Scots Queen's Jubilee pudding finalist hopes for Balmoral call up
However, at some point between 6.50am and 7.50am when her body was found by the pool, Kirsty had left the apartment, but why she did this remains unknown.
One theory is that she opened the front door by accident or opened the wrong door when the door closed behind her without a key card and she may have struggled to get back in.
The other is that she may have gone upstairs to ask one of her other friends for toiletries, but both scenarios led her to knocking on the wrong door.
Friends were staying in an apartment above, but it is not known why she ended up at the wrong door or in the wrong apartment.
Denise and Brian Curry are still searching for answers
Mr Swindle, who has been helping Kirsty's family with the investigation, said: “There was irretrievable errors made in evidence lost. The Spanish police dealt with this as a potential homicide, however they did not initiate major crime investigation protocols as we would expect in the UK. The first 48 hours, sometimes referred to as the golden hours, is the most important in any major investigation to secure potential evidence. There was so many errors such as CCTV not been gathered, Kirsty’s clothing being destroyed.
“Witness interviews were not followed through, not everyone there at the time was interviewed, CCTV that was secured was selective. There was cameras in that place that would have pieced things together better, but it’s very confusing to piece things together as to what happened.”
In the months following Kirsty’s death, her parents founded a charity in their daughter’s name to help others who have lost loved ones abroad.
The family of a London doctor, whose death in India, is still being investigated, sought help and advice from the Kirsty Maxwell Trust.
David Swindle has been helping Kirsty's family
Alice David-John, whose father died in 2018, is running the Edinburgh half marathon on May 29 to help raise vital funds for the charity to be able to help others who find themselves in a similar situation.
Ms David-John said: “We are still looking for answers about our father’s death but we wouldn’t have got this far if it hadn’t been for the Maxwell’s help. They have been through so much, but are still helping others.
“We just wanted to do something for them and help raise money for the charity. I’ll be taking part in the Edinburgh half marathon at the end of May. It doesn’t seem enough for what they have done for us, but we just wanted to help.”
To donate to Ms David-John’s fundraising page go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thekirstymaxwellcharity?utm_term=rP6jBXJgb
If you have information contact info@kirstymaxwell.com
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