Brit accused of stabbing his father to death in Tenerife ‘was suffering from schizophrenia’
EXCLUSIVE – Revealed: Briton, 38, accused of stabbing his father to death in Tenerife ‘suffered from schizophrenia’ and ‘isn’t a bad person’ says family source
- Simon Corcocan, 58, was stabbed dozens of times at his home in Los Abrigos
- Paul Corcoran has been held in a special prison in Tenerife since July 2020
This is a British holidaymaker accused of stabbing his own father to death in a Tenerife frenzy after an argument over cleaning up.
The deranged Paul Corcoran is accused of murdering his father, former merchant marine hero Simon Corcocan (58), who was stabbed dozens of times with a knife after coming to stay with him on the holiday island.
The Briton, 38, has been held in a special prison on Spain’s Canary Island since his arrest for the heinous crime in July 2020. He is still waiting for his criminal case to be settled.
Corcoran was visiting his ex-father, 58, during the first international Covid lockdown when the deadly attack happened – soon after they argued over his failure to clean up.
The father of four was brutally stabbed at his home in Los Abrigos, a small port on the south coast of Tenerife, in the Granadilla de Abona region.
Pictured: Paul Corcoran is arrested. He is accused of killing his father, former merchant hero Simon Corcocan (58), who was stabbed dozens of times, after coming to stay with him on the holiday island.
An autopsy found that the victim had been stabbed approximately 35 times with a knife, with many of the wounds inflicted from behind.
So far, the suspect, believed to be a former soldier, has been officially named only by his initials PCS. But MailOnline has discovered his full identity – and the family tragedy behind the case.
Corcoran Jnr lived with his mother, also an ex-pat Briton and separated from her husband, at her home in southern Spain.
A family source told MailOnline exclusively that Corcoran suffered from “acute schizophrenia.”
He has previously been pictured making his first court appearance nearly three years ago, guided in wearing bandages on his left hand.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard, who investigated the death two summers ago, said: “I can confirm that a British man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his father, who is also British.”
The alarm would have been raised after the suspect with blood on his hands went for coffee at his girlfriend’s flat.
His father’s body was found in a nearby property.
Pictured: Paul Corcoran (left) sitting next to his father Simon Corcoran. The 38-year-old Briton has been detained in a special prison on the Spanish Canary Island since his arrest for the heinous crime in July 2020.
The victim worked as a tree surgeon and garden specialist and was in regular contact with his daughter and son, who live in the Midlands.
Sadly, his third son passed away nearly seven years ago.
Police said they could not comment on local reports that the suspect had mental health problems.
But a family source said: ‘Paul suffers from acute schizophrenia and was visiting his father during the first Covid lockdown.
‘He’s not a monster. People think he is for what he allegedly did, but he is sick and the system has failed him.
“He hadn’t gotten his meds. He needs help, he’s not bad.
“He had a psychotic episode and didn’t know what he was doing.
“The tragic sequence of events has devastated and torn the family apart.”
Relatives in Britain first learned of the horror by reading about it on news websites.
A source said: ‘Simon and his daughter Lauren were very close and she was devastated when she first heard that he had passed away. She assumed it was a heart attack or natural causes.
“Paul’s case kept getting postponed and meanwhile he’s getting worse in custody.
“The family has spent a fortune on legal fees for Spanish lawyers and wants the case dealt with as quickly as possible. It drags on.’