Brit tourist, 43, fighting for life after being punched in the head by bouncer at Benidorm bar while on hols with pals
A BRIT holidaymaker who was punched in the head by a bouncer in Benidorm is now fighting for his life just nine days after his engagement.
Andrew Frazer, 43, was allegedly floored by a doorman in an “unprovoked” attack during a lads’ break to the famous Costa Blanca resort.
He had just proposed to his long-term partner Carrie Howard a week prior.
The father-of-two, from St Helens, Merseyside, had to have part of his skull cut away to relieve swelling on the brain.
He is now back in the UK after a gruelling 27-hour journey in the back of a private ambulance because his injuries were too severe for a medical flight.
His distraught family said the full extent of the damage he suffered is still being assessed.
Today it emerged a 42-year-old Romanian man was arrested over the early-hours incident on November 14 outside a pub in Benidorm’s famous Little England area.
The unnamed suspect was held last week on suspicion of a crime of wounding but was released on bail pending an ongoing criminal probe.
He appeared before a judge in a behind-closed-doors court hearing where he denied being the man who assaulted Mr Frazer.
He is being represented by lawyer Roberto Sanchez Martinez, who represented the five British men arrested after newly-married Scot Kirsty Maxwell plunged to her death on April 29, 2017 after a night out with friends in Benidorm.
The Brits, made homicide suspects in the aftermath of the tragedy, were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.
Judges ruled in July 2020 there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and nothing to indicate the 27-year-old had not jumped to her death.
Mr Frazer’s brother Ian filed a complaint to police after the assault on his sibling, who works as a ramp agent for DHL at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Andrew’s sister-in-law Claire said he was sent back to his hotel after initial hospital treatment without a CT scan.
His condition worsened, and Mr Frazer was then taken to another hospital the following day, where a scan revealed a serious bleed on the brain.
He underwent an emergency craniotomy, a surgical procedure removing part of the skull to access the brain, and was placed in an induced coma.
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up after the incident to help fund his return to the UK last Thursday because he didn’t have travel insurance has already raised more than £30,000.
Ian was part of a group of six men who flew out to Benidorm shortly before the assault to attend Europe’s largest fancy dress party in Benidorm.
He told Mail Online after the assault: “Some of the lads had not been to Benidorm before so we took them to a couple of places, and landed up in this bar.
“We were leaving at around 1.30am. Andrew was outside waiting for us in the road and we were following him out.
“He was on the kerb edge of the footpath, and this bouncer was stood in front of him and in his face.
“My brother was looking over his shoulder to see when we were coming out, and this guy just punched him and knocked him out.
“He fell backwards and hit his head on the road because he was out cold. I ran over and held his head.
“A British nurse who was walking past with her husband rushed to help and propped his head up. She was horrified by what had happened and stayed with us.”
In an update on the GoFundme appeal site last week where £32,841 of the £35,000 target has already been raised, friends and family said:
“Hi all, just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated so far.
“With your incredible help we have managed to raise enough funds to get him home safely and we can’t thank you enough. With that being said Andy’s awful injury is likely going to cause long term recovery as we don’t yet know the full extent of the damage.
“We would like to push on with this and raise as much funding as possible to support Andy and the family financially along this journey for as long as it takes.
“Thank you all once again for what you have achieved so far.”