British tourist, 43, jailed for four years after admitting raping his son’s girlfriend in hotel room in Magaluf
- Prosecutors wanted Brit to get nine years in prison, but he took a plea deal
A British tourist has been jailed for four years after admitting to raping his son’s girlfriend in a hotel room in Magaluf.
Spanish prosecutors said before today’s trial in Mallorca that they wanted him jailed for nine years if convicted of the May 9, 2023, sexual assault.
The 43-year-old Briton, named in court documents as David McPaul Wigging, reached a plea deal through his lawyer this morning ahead of the full trial at the Audiencia Court in the island capital Palma.
At a subsequent short public hearing it was confirmed that he would receive a four-year prison sentence.
The fact that he was very drunk when he attacked his victim – also believed to be British – was taken into account as a mitigating factor.
Spanish prosecutors said before today’s trial in Mallorca that they wanted the man (pictured left) nine years in prison if convicted of the May 9, 2023 sexual assault
The 43-year-old Briton (center) reached a plea deal through his lawyer this morning ahead of the full trial at the Audiencia court in the island capital Palma.
He will be deported from Spain once he has served half his sentence.
Prosecutors outlined in a pre-trial indictment how the British man agreed to let the woman he then proceeded to rape stay in their room after his son chatted with her around the pool at their holiday hotel.
In the two-page indictment they said: ‘In the early hours of May 9, 2023, with the intention of satisfying his sexual desire, the suspect took advantage of the fact that his victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol and was in a deep sleep on a sofa bed, stood next to her and penetrated her without her realizing it.
‘When she woke up and started shouting at him to stop, he grabbed her arm (…).
‘The woman subsequently went to a medical center and was very emotionally affected and in a depressed state.
‘Medical experts who examined her found that she had three small bruises consistent with being grabbed, as well as marks on her chest.’
Spanish prosecutors said before David McPaul Wigging’s trial in Mallorca today that they wanted him jailed for nine years if convicted of the May 9, 2023 sexual assault (file image from Magaluf)
The man was arrested at Palma airport after ‘packing his bags and trying to return to Britain’ hours after the rape. He has been in prison ever since.
As well as serving a four-year prison sentence, he will also pay his victim £6,400 in compensation as part of the settlement.
Local reports at the time of his arrest said police took a statement from the rape victim before they went to the unnamed Magaluf hotel where the sex attack took place and found the man they were looking for had already checked out of the hotel.
He was arrested at the gate of his flight for allegedly ending his vacation early by rescheduling his return days before he was originally scheduled to depart by purchasing a new ticket home.
An investigating magistrate ordered his remand in prison after he was taken to court for questioning during a closed hearing in which the woman, said to be British and aged around 20, gave her version of events.
It is not yet clear where the self-confessed rapist will serve his prison sentence. The time he has already spent behind bars will be taken into account when determining when he will become a free man again.