Preston man's murder in Tenerife: police claim victim went into a property armed with a knife before being stabbed

Spanish detectives are investigating claims Preston man Andrew 'Ed' Walch, who was stabbed to death in Tenerife on Thursday, was the 'aggressor' rather than the victim of a suspected burglary.
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Police on the island now believe the 31-year-old was an armed intruder at the time he suffered the fatal knife wound.

The revelation emerged after five suspects appeared in a Spanish court over the death.

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And friends of the man arrested over his alleged murder - British barman Jimmi Nicol - have also contacted the Post claiming Mr Walch had gone into his property, armed with a knife, with two other men and that the blade penetrated his shoulder after a scuffle.

Andrew 'Ed' Walch (Credit: Facebook)Andrew 'Ed' Walch (Credit: Facebook)
Andrew 'Ed' Walch (Credit: Facebook)

A national newspaper claims a police report sent to the court says Walch went to the home Mr Nicol shared with his sister with two unidentified accomplices "with the intention of stealing drugs or money that could be inside".

A spokesman for the National Police in Tenerife told the newspaper three of the detainees are British nationals aged 26 to 30, with two held on suspicion of homicide and the third on suspicion of concealment. Two others, held on suspicion of concealment, are Polish and Italian.

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Preston dad Andrew 'Ed' Walch's death in Tenerife triggers investigation

Walch was a known criminal in Lancashire, and had hit the headlines on several occasions from a young age.

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He was jailed for two years in 2010 for perverting the course of justice.

His pal Stephen Helm, 27, left ex-soldier Steven Ball's body after crashing a car through railings at up to 60mph while defying a road ban for a string of driving convictions.

When he realised 20-year-old Mr Ball, who had been sitting next to Walch in the car, could not be saved, Helm abandoned him at the roadside. Walch dialled 999 but pretended to be a passer-by reporting the accident and gave a false name.

He helped set fire to the wrecked vehicle to destroy any evidence linking them to the scene.

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While Walch was serving his sentence at HMP Risley in Warrington, Cheshire, in August 2016 he was involved in an £18,000 plot to fly a stash of drugs and mobile phones into the jail using a drone and was jailed for a further four and a half years.

It is understood he moved to Tenerife a year ago.

Heartfelt tributes have been left on social media.

Mr Walch's family did not wish to comment.

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