Witness tells how Ibiza clubber was bottled before he ended up in the sea

A youth worker found floating in the sea in Ibiza was alive when he entered the water, an inquest heard.

Anwaar Lahrichi-Greenwood, 24, was recovered from San Antonio port wearing just his socks after vanishing on a night out with friends on 5 August 2018.

His family say the Spanish police want them to believe Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood slipped and fell but witnesses have told how he was beaten with a bottle.

Barnet Coroner’s Court heard Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood, was last seen 30 hours earlier outside Soul City club near the town’s harbour.

At the time of his death his family criticised the San Antonio police for not properly investigating what had happened.

His cousin, Syan Angol, said the family had travelled to the island to investigate and disputed that account of the facts.

Summarising an autopsy report from forensic pathologist Dr Simon Morris Poole, Coroner Simon Walker said: ‘You can’t indicate the mechanism by which the head injuries were sustained, it is not possible to exclude violent strikes, such as from a bottle or the sea bed.

‘The lungs suggest the deceased was alive when he entered the water.

‘You can’t indicate when or how Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood died, you did not suggest he was dragged and deposited into the sea.’

Dr Morris Poole confirmed that the toxicology results were ‘confusing’ and he could not be certain about the level of intoxication at the time of death.

Mr Walker said: ‘Witnesses saw a number of blows with a bottle to the head and he was found on the ground with someone tending to his injuries, he was not in water at that time.

‘Bearing in mind your conclusions of the injuries, do you think that there could have been in this case an element of concussion affecting Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood?

‘I think that it’s certainly possible, the reason I say that is that concussion as a clinical state is often not associated with structural or anatomical in the membrane at the time of autopsy,’ said the coroner.

‘Had he entered the water he might have been at considerable disadvantage.’

Witnesses came forward after the family offered a £5,000 reward for any information which would lead to a conviction.

Ms Angol earlier said: ‘We personally believe he is being painted as another British tourist who goes out to Ibiza, gets drunk, loses themselves and accidents happen,’ said Ms Angol.

‘That’s what they want us to believe.’

According to the family, witnesses told them Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood, from Edmonton, north London, had been ‘hit over the head with a bottle’ during a ‘brawl’ with three Spanish youths.

‘We have written statements, addresses, numbers and established a timeline.’

‘Although there are still bits missing, we probably have more than the Spanish authorities have.’

Witnesses described seeing Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood being hit at least twice with a bottle before refusing treatment from paramedics and leaving the scene.

The coroner recorded an open verdict because of a lack of ‘crucial evidence’ showing how or when Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood entered the sea.

Spanish police found that the man they believe to be Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood was last seen running from the San Antonio beach after refusing treatment for head injuries.

A British witness who had met him earlier said he had seen him being struck three times over the head with a bottle until it broke.

His attacker was part of a group of three men, thought to be local, who Anwaar had approached and spoken to.

Although the Spanish investigators’ CCTV evidence was not shared with the coroner or family, they said it last shows Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood at 5:52 as he left the beach.

Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood was identified by his beard and shorts, which seemed to fall down.

He left on his ‘own two feet’ and although bloody from the attack, was at no point unconscious.

He did not accept medical assistance as he was ‘violent at the time,’ the report states.

Witness Tyler Jules-Nelson, from Manchester, said in a statement taken in April 2021 by the Metropolitan Police that he had met Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood at the beach at about 3am after the club closed.

Mr Jules-Nelson and his friend briefly left the beach but returned to see the sunrise as it was their last night.

He wrote: ‘When we got back we spotted the male, still there, he appeared to be chatting to other people on the beach.

‘We saw Anwaar walk to three men and began chatting to them, we later found out they were not English.

‘They were chatting. I’m not sure what triggered it but one of the Spanish men picked up a bottle and began striking him over the head, on the third strike it broke.

‘They thought he must have been aggressive but I did not think he was.’

Mr Jules-Nelson said he and his friend chased the man and almost caught one.

When they returned to the beach Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood was groaning but did not appear ‘critical’.

Worried about being arrested by police he left the beach and happened to see two of the attackers as they returned to their hotel.

The coroner said: ‘On the evening of the 3rd of August 2018 Anwaar Lahrichi-Greenwood was on holiday in Ibiza.

‘During an altercation he was seen to be struck on the head a number of times with a bottle and he was left with a woman in the early hours.

‘He was last seen on the 4th of August at about 0500 hours. On the 5th August 2018 Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood was found in a marina some way from the beach and the marine boats.

‘He was recovered by the coastguard, there is no evidence to say how he entered the water or the condition he was in when he did so.

In these circumstances we simply don’t know, there is no evidence to suggest how he entered the water or when he did so.

‘There is evidence that those who received blows to the head and may find themselves concussed entered the water would have been at a higher risk of drowning.

‘Having said that there is no evidence to suggest how he entered the water or when he did so.

‘The only conclusion in this case can be an open conclusion.

‘I am grateful to all the work done for the family to help find answers, I am sorry we haven’t been able to find the crucial pieces of evidence that would show how Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood found his way into the water and when he went into the water.’

Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood’s friend Darren Sarpong, wrote: ‘I was devastated this happened whilst we were out enjoying ourselves and devastated I could not find him after he walked off, while he was there and needed me.’

Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood’s family blasted an ‘ineffective investigation’ by the Spanish authorities which meant evidence that could have explained his death may be lost forever.

Una Morris, for the family, said: ‘The family say that the only appropriate short form conclusion in this case is an open conclusion, for the simple fact relating to how he ended up in the sea you have absence of evidence.

‘You do not know how he ended up there.

‘The family submit that this is because of an ineffective investigation.

‘You will know that the family conducted a number of investigations and the statements were only taken this year by the Metropolitan Police service. ‘

Referring to the uncertainty over the time of death, she added: ‘In the Spanish police report there is some mention of later times.

‘Obviously that evidence hasn’t been tested in this court and they are not sure about the way in which it was tested elsewhere.’

Solicitor for the family Jude Lanchin added: ‘There was a 36 hour gap between when he was last seen at approximately 5am on Saturday and he wasn’t found until Sunday morning at around 7am.

‘That is obviously a really significant number of hours.

‘As we understood from the police investigation in Spain, not all CCTV was checked, this was part of the problem and why the family had to step in from early days.

‘They put up posters, leafleted in an attempt to see if anyone would come forward to try and plug that very long gap of where he had gone, had he got into another altercation?

‘It’s very difficult after this amount of time.

‘Their very clear view is that not all potential witnesses… not all attempts were made to locate other witnesses, it seems as if police didn’t try and find any others.’

Mr Lahrichi-Greenwood’s friends who searched for him until the early hours of the morning were unable to contact him because he had earlier dived into a pool with his phone in his pocket, the court heard.

Lifeguards at the beach were ‘nonplussed’ when they told him their friend was missing and advised them to make a formal missing person report.

Mr Sarpong said: ‘ The tourist police said there were no reports, they did not seem that bothered at the time.

‘They checked if he was arrested but they seemed nonplussed.

‘The lifeguards said they could not do anything unless he was officially reported missing, we went and did that then went back but they were still nonplussed.

‘When I heard his body was found in the arena my heart sank.’

ENDS