The 63-year-old Welshman, a resident in Albufeira, and his wife, also 63, had been walking back home from the main part of the city at around 2am when they were set upon by the thief.
“We were near the globe roundabout when a man ran up from behind us and attempted to grab my wife’s handbag. She wouldn’t let go and then he started to get violent. He attacked me, punched my wife. He was determined to get her bag but after a few minutes he ran off”, the resident recalls.
Around half an hour later, according to the expat, another woman, the wife of a local businessman, was also mugged and in that case the assailant was successful in making off with his victim’s handbag.
“It’s the first time we’ve had any trouble since we’ve been here”, said the man, who has lived in Portugal for a year and nine months but visited regularly before immigrating; “We just want to warn people to be vigilant.”
However, despite suggestions that both muggings were carried out by the same individual, GNR police have told The Portugal News that in fact different perpetrators were responsible for the incidents.
Confirming a foreign couple was “importuned” by an individual who “threatened to rob them” on Saturday night at around 2am but was unsuccessful in doing so, a spokesperson for the force said a second incident involving a different victim had taken place 45 minutes later, but was not carried out by the same assailant.
In the latter instance, the source said, the victim was robbed and “after investigating we have a suspect and an arrest is expected imminently.”