Ben Nevis challenge set to mark 10 years since stag party tragedy
THEY were a group of friends who had grown up together and had stayed close even as they went their different ways in life.
As many of them reach milestones, there is one person who is never far from their thoughts.
Their friend Craig Mallon was killed 10 years ago tomorrow. Mr Mallon, from Coatbridge, was killed by a single punch attack while at his brother’s stag party in Lloret de Mar on Spain’s Costa Brava on May 19, 2012.
To mark the anniversary a group of 15 friends, who grew up Mr Mallon, will take on Scotland’s highest mountain this weekend in his memory.
The 26-year-old died just hours after arriving in Spain. Despite there being many eyewitness accounts and authorities discovering a group of key witnesses had left their hotel early, local officers were unable to solve the case.
His mother Antoinette went to her grave without seeing justice for her son, with her husband Ian saying she gave up after their son died and blames her death on what they went through.
Now, as the 10th anniversary is marked, Mr Mallon’s close group of friends will climb Ben Nevis on
Sunday. As well as raising awareness for Mr Mallon’s case they are also raising funds to help another family help others who find themselves in the horrific situation of losing a loved one abroad.
The friends are raising funds for the Kirsty Maxwell Trust, a charity set up by Kirsty’s parents Denise and Brian Curry to help families seeking help and justice after the death of a loved one abroad. Their daughter Kirsty died after falling from a balcony in the Spanish holiday resort of Benidorm in 2017. Her family are still searching for answers as to exactly what happened.
Ahead of Sunday’s hike, already more than £600 has been raised through a Just Giving page.
Mr Mallon’s friend, Stephen Linnen, said: “We are all childhood friends who grew up with Craig. We wanted to do something to mark the 10th anniversary.
“We saw the difficulties the family had early on trying to find out what happened and getting information so we decided to donate funds to the Kirsty Maxwell Trust who help families who have lost a loved one abroad.
“Unfortunately, there will be people who will go through what Craig’s parents did and we wanted to help the charity to be there for others.”
While many of Mr Mallon’s friends have married or had families of their own, they still feel Mr Mallon should also have had the same chances as them.
Mr Linnen added: “The milestones that we all go through, Craig should have had that as well.”
Crime expert David Swindle, a retired detective, has been helping Mr Mallon’s family on their quest for justice through his Victims Abroad project.
Earlier this year the 10-year-long case took a new twist after it emerged a mystery female made a call from the scene in the early hours.
On the eve of the 10th anniversary Mr Mallon’s father, Ian Mallon, still hopes for a breakthrough.
He said: “It might be 10 years but if anyone knows anything please come forward.
“This has destroyed our family. My wife went to her grave not knowing who killed Craig and we need some closure.
“Craig’s friends have never forgotten him and are trying to keep his memory alive. I think it is brilliant that they are climbing Ben Nevis to raise funds. It really means a lot.”
Mr Mallon’s case will be highlighted as part of a series of podcasts, Swindle’s Search for the Truth, which focuses on long-running unsolved cases.
▪to donate go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/craigmallon?utm_term=ve36m3nnj