Justice-seeking widow returns to island scene of husband’s killing

A WIDOW is returning to the holiday island where her husband was murdered in the hope of seeing his alleged killers brought to justice.

Patricia Cockshutt, of Brandesburton in the East Riding, is due to fly back to Tenerife this week after being told the two teenagers accused of her husband Peter’s murder could be sentenced by the end of March.

Mr Cockshutt was stabbed three times at the couple’s holiday villa in Costa Del Silencio in what is believed to have been a bungled burglary on February 6, last year.

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Two boys, aged 14 and 16 and thought to be from Chile and Uruguay respectively, were charged with his murder and robbery days afterwards. They reportedly confessed to the killing but a year on Mrs Cockshutt is still waiting for the case to conclude amid fears the boys could be released shortly.

“By Spanish law they could have been out in November because they’re juveniles but they extended it for another six months so they have got to sort it out,” she said.

“I just need to get it over with really and I have got to get back some of Peter’s belongings which they took.”

But the family has been told the teenagers, if convicted, would only spend a maximum of five years in a young offenders’ institution as Spanish law states youths cannot spend any longer locked up.

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Mrs Cockshutt will be accompanied by her son Tony when she returns to Tenerife.

She will speak to prosecutors dealing with the case in the hope of being able to return to the UK with at least a sentencing date fixed.

“It will never be the same but it’s one of those things and I have got to carry on,” Mrs Cockshutt added.

Originally from the Manchester area, Mr Cockshutt had lived in a number of East Riding villages, including Cherry Burton, before moving to the family’s current home in Brandesburton in 2009.

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He was the sole director of a company called Eco Aqua Solutions which he set up in Spain in May 2009.

The 71-year-old was killed when he apparently disturbed burglars at his home after returning from the shops.

Mrs Cockshutt was not with him since she had returned home on an earlier flight to oversee repairs to their other home.

The couple, who have five children and nine grandchildren, went to Tenerife for 25 years and had always felt secure. The resort of Costa del Silencio – or the Silent Coast – is situated in the Arona municipality and was one of the first areas of the Spanish island to be specifically developed for tourism.

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