Heswall man murdered in the Phillipines


A FORMER limousine firm boss from Heswall has been found stabbed to death in the Phillipines.

It's thought Martin Williams may have been attacked while taking an evening swim in a spring.

Mr Williams was discovered stripped to his underwear beside the Boloc-boloc spring in the central city of Tagbilaran at around 6am local time on Tuesday.

He had multiple wounds to the chest, abdomen and head.

Police told local newspaper The Bohol Chronicle - which published a picture of Mr Williams' lifeless body - that his T-shirt, shorts and sandals were found at the scene.

They think he was attacked in the spring and then dragged out, the newspaper said.

Detectives found a "personal belonging" they believe they can link to a suspect and are making inquiries.

Mr Williams moved to the Phillipines a year ago to marry a local woman, but it is understood the couple were estranged.

A former Vauxhall worker who later went on to run his own luxury car hire firm, he spent his time in the Phillipines running the Sea Bar Resort in Tawala.

On the night he was killed he had checked in alone to the Bohol Mangrove KTV Bar, where he was a regular guest, and went out for his swim shortly after arriving.

The newspaper said Mr Williams had survived a previous attempt on his life last January when a drive-by gunman on a motorcycle shot at him twice as he drank in his bar, but missed.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told the Globe: "A British national was found dead on Tuesday, March 24.

"We are providing consular assistance and local police have a launched a full investigation."

THE GLOBE