The father of a Fife soldier is still demanding answers from Portuguese authorities a year after his son’s death.
Darren Lackie (21) from Cupar, a soldier in The Black Watch, was fatally injured at the Albufeira resort while on holiday with his girlfriend, Ashleigh Wilson.
There remains a dispute over his death, with his father Graham insisting he was mugged and then murdered.
MP Sir Menzies Campbell is among those calling for a probe, saying he had urged the Foreign Office to ”raise the issue” with the Portuguese authorities, who have always insisted Darren died following a drunken fall.
Tomorrow, a year will have passed since the young soldier died and Mr Lackie said he would keep fighting to find out what happened during his son’s last moments.
He does not accept the explanation given by the authorities that Darren’s head injuries were caused by a fall and his argument has been backed by a medical report indicating that heavy drinking had not been a factor.
The family’s perseverance has already paid off. They successfully pushed for a fresh inquiry that revealed traces of barbiturates had been found in Darren’s blood, leading to suspicion that he had been drugged, robbed and then killed.
Mr Lackie, a postman, said he had still to hear anything from police in Portugal and that they were ”hiding behind a secrecy law”.
He said: ”Everywhere we go, the door is locked. People have to know that Darren didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know what happened, but I know what didn’t happen.
”I don’t believe the lies that have been told, that he was found outside a bar. He wasn’t found outside a bar, he was found 50 yards down the road outside a restaurant.
“I was told he’d fallen down a set of stairs, but he hadn’t because he was on a flat pavement.”‘Brave and tenacious’He added: “I know that Darren was assaulted from what the doctor said.
”He said the injuries to his head were not the kind of injuries you got from falling unless it was a traumatic fall.
”Stairs weren’t involved, so it was nothing to do with that, and he didn’t fall on ice because there’s no ice in Albufeira.
”How does a 6ft 3in soldier hit his head twice and then throw his wallet away?
”There’s so much apathy about this and I have to keep pushing.
”Darren can’t ask these questions so I have to do something. As long as the pressure is kept up they know this is not going to go away.”
Just weeks after Darren’s death, 50-year-old Ian Haggath, from Dunston near Gateshead, was assaulted in Albufeira and later died from his injuries, prompting the Foreign Office to issue a warning to British tourists. Dublin man David Hoban (44) was stabbed at the resort but survived.
As a veteran of Afghanistan, Darren had served in some of the most dangerous conditions on the planet. Regimental chiefs described him as a ”brave and tenacious” rising young star.’Big step’Mr Lackie fears the circumstances surrounding his son’s death may have been covered up to protect the tourist industry in Portugal.
However, there has been one breakthrough. Darren’s phone is believed to be a key piece of evidence.
Mr Lackie said after being unlocked by the phone company the device had been detected and Europol were trying to trace it.
”For them to admit the phone is in Portugal is quite a big step,” he said.
”Darren’s phone was his baby. It was a brand new model and he never let it out of his sight. Either somebody has gone up to his body, gone though his stuff and robbed him, or something happened on the forecourt of this restaurant.”
Mr Lackie went on to say how he will cope with the anniversary of Darren’s death.
”I’ll just be working on Tuesday,” he said. ”That’s all I do and that’s how I get through it.”
Sir Menzies said: ”At Mr Lackie’s request I’ve been in correspondence with the Foreign Office, asking them to raise the issue with the Portuguese authorities.
”I’m ready to do that again at any time Mr Lackie requests.”
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: ”We’re closely monitoring this case and spoke to the Portuguese prosecutor earlier this month. The case is still under investigation.”