Scot who died in Turkey had voiced mafia fears

INQUEST: Billy Wallace fell from hospital window after chilling call to family

A Scottish tourist who died in a mysterious fall while on holiday in Turkey made a chilling phone call to his family just days before his death claiming he was being chased by the mafia, an inquest heard.

Billy Wallace, 35, rang his father in a panic from a hospital bed in Marmaris after he suffered a broken ankle when he jumped from a moving taxi.

The council electrician claimed “someone was after him” and said he had became injured as he had to leap out of the cab as it inexplicably changed direction while driving him to the airport and he feared he was being kidnapped.

Mr Wallace, from Edinburgh, later jumped out of a window at the medical centre and as a result was moved 164 miles to Mugla Sitki University Hospital in Izmir.

But he was seen to fall again from a window sill at Izmir hospital while staff were treating another patient in the same room.

He died two days later from multiple injuries. Tests showed he had no traces of drugs or alcohol in his system.

The hearing in Manchester was told the incident occurred in 2015 while Mr Wallace – who worked for Edinburgh City Council and was described as a “pleasant, polite, well-mannered man” – was thought to be holidaying alone in Turkey.

His father, William Wallace Sr, from Charleston, Dundee, said: “We believe he went to Turkey on his own although we have since heard that he might have been with someone, but nobody has been able to confirm this.

“He had an episode of depression in 2002 and a problem with alcohol in 2006 but nothing since then.

“On September 29 2015, I received a phone call from Billy and he said he had got himself in a bit of trouble.

“He mentioned that there was someone after him and he mentioned the mafia.”

A report from the hospital in Izmir said that Mr Wallace was sharing a room with another patient.

Had this happened in the United Kingdom this would have been fully investigated. NIGEL MEADOWS CORONER

It claimed the patient was being seen by doctors when Mr Wallace was spotted standing on the window sill. Someone shouted ‘stop, don’t do it, don’t jump’ but the report said he let himself fall.

Recording an open conclusion, Coroner Nigel Meadows said: “How he came to be in this position is not clear.

“He might have many years ago had a depressive episode but there is no evidence of this leading up to these events and there is no history of him taking any illicit drugs.

“He was an electrician and his employer had no concerns about his behaviour and they regarded him as a good employee.

“Had this happened in the United Kingdom this would have been fully investigated.

“Whether the police in Scotland can do anything about it is a different matter and all I can do is ask them to look into this if you wish me to do so.”

The inquest was held in Manchester as it was the city where Mr Wallace’s body was flown back to.