74-year-old British man faces jail for repeatedly running over neighbour

A 74-year-old British man residing in the quaint Axarquía village of La Viñuela, on the eastern side of the Malaga province, is currently in police custody under suspicion of running over an 80-year-old fellow Briton and neighbour, identified as David James. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday, August 12th, amid an ongoing dispute between the two parties.

David James, the victim, who had spent a full 10 days in hospital recovering from broken hips and ribs, is now back home in La Viñuela. The altercation also left at least three other local residents injured to varying degrees.

The dispute, which had been brewing for a while, escalated dramatically when James returned home after having lunch at a neighbour's house. Speaking with local media outlet Diario Sur, James recounted the sequence of events. Upon arriving at his villa's gate, he found several large stones obstructing his car's path. As he attempted to clear the obstruction, he heard cries for help from his neighbour's wife, alleging that her husband was attacking her.

According to James, when he confronted his neighbour about the stones, the latter denied any involvement, claiming they had fallen from a nearby bush. However, it became apparent that the neighbour was visibly intoxicated.

In an effort to prevent him from driving under the influence, James tried to take away his car keys, but in response, his neighbour purportedly crashed his Nissan Qashqai into the property's metal gate and then ran over James several times, an account corroborated by multiple witnesses.

Approximately 15 neighbours arrived at the scene upon hearing the disturbance, preventing further harm. Reflecting on the horrifying ordeal, James stated, "He wanted to kill me, he drove his car over me five times, I have broken hips, several broken ribs and bruises on my head and arms. Then he took a stick and hit me, and if it wasn’t for the neighbours stopping him, he’d have killed me, he is a murderer."

The Guardia Civil eventually arrived on the scene, after a delay of more than 30 to 45 minutes, and promptly arrested the neighbour on charges of attempted murder and causing injury.

The suspect, who has resided in La Viñuela for over a decade, previously living in Mallorca, now remains in custody without bail as ordered by the court in Vélez-Málaga. This incident is not the first instance of conflict between the two neighbours; James recounted a past confrontation during which his neighbour threatened him with an axe.

James, also the president of the residential community, shared that numerous residents have experienced clashes with the same neighbour for various reasons. A previous restraining order had been issued as a resolution to an earlier incident, although James claimed his neighbour had not adhered to it due to an out-of-court settlement.

Concerns linger among local residents that the alleged assailant might be released in the coming months, prompting a collective call for his continued custody without bail until the trial. James expressed his desire for justice, stating, "I hope he gets at least ten years in prison."