A wealthy businessman, who died in mysterious circumstances on a golfing break in the Algarve, is the subject of an inquest in the UK.
Charles Raper, 34, died 10 years ago on an Algarve holiday with 17 friends who used Vilamoura as their base.
It remains unclear whether Mr Raper was run over by a vehicle, stabbed, fell off a wall or was involved in a fight. He was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries but died after an operation to remove his spleen.
At the Coroner’s Court in Woking, Surrey on Monday October 12th the inquest into his death learned Mr Raper was holidaying with rugby and Oxford University friends who had taken part in drinking games.
One of Mr Raper's closest friends, David Currie a former Harlequins rugby star, gave evidence about how he found his friend lying in a car park.
He told the inquest how he called Mr Raper's firm Blue Hackle in London to “ask about insurance details."
"I told them he could have fallen from a wall, been stabbed or hit by a car," he said, adding that a member of the medical staff had said he had been stabbed.
Many of Mr Raper's friends are scheduled to give evidence during the 10 day hearing.
Mr Currie told the inquest that the group was “a boisterous bunch” who had known each other since university or through rugby and that there were some big drinkers there.
Coroner Richard Travers asked Currie if the group had come up with a scenario to “protect” another member of the group, which he denied. Ian Desmond was at the wheel of a minibus which could have struck Mr Raper.
Raper founded a risk consultancy and security firm Blue Hackle in 2004 with his brother Michael. During his university days, he was a student at Keble College, Oxford.
When he returned to the UK, Currie admitted he spoke to a PR company without the permission of the family, to prevent any negative publicity surrounding the death.
UPDATE: The reason the inquest has taken so long is that there was a case to answer in Portugal and while criminal charges were pending, the UK coroner could not open an inquest.
The case was heard in Lagos last year but no further details are yet available.
The inquest continues.
