Murder shocks Palma

Deep concern was expressed by women's rights groups in Majorca yesterday as Manuel Ll.F. was admitted to the psychiatric wing of Son Dureta hospital in Palma after he strangled his girlfriend to death at their home on Friday night. The murder happened at the couple's home in calle Ausias March and while the whole neighbourhood was in deep shock yesterday, few local residents spoke fondly of the suspect; some even described him as strange. The flat where Beatriz Garau Hotman was strangled remained cordoned off by police yesterday. Police sources confirmed yesterday that the suspect had been watching a cowboy film on Friday night, not a horror film as he had claimed when he called the police to report that he had strangled his girlfriend. Apart from a number of other contradictions in his statement, police have established that Manuel spent a lot of time on the internet, regularly playing violent games. At the time of the murder, according to the police, a very violent game was playing on the computer screen. The couple had been living together for a year, prior to that Manuel lived in the same flat with a lawyer, but the “violent” relationship did not last long. The pair frequently argued, neighbours said yesterday.