A British resident who has owned a property in the centre of Palma since 2018 and visits the island some ten times a year, contacted the Bulletin this Monday morning to issue a warning to the general public to keep their eyes open and any valuables, in particular mobile phones, “out of sight”, after he was mugged in the early hours of Sunday morning near Plaza Cort.
“I was walking home at around 1am when a guy on an electric scooter started following me, I guess he was tracking me. Eventually he approached and stopped me, asking where I came from and if I wanted to buy any drugs. He told me he was from Senegal. I declined and carried on home down a side street. He then rode into me and snatched by iphone. I was wearing loose flannel trousers and the pockets were not very deep so I guess the phone was on show.
"However, I wasn’t hurt and managed to grab the mobile phone back and the guy rode away and I carried on home. I tried to call the police but didn’t get very far and I was flying home to Manchester later that day so I didn’t have time to go to the police station. That said, having managed to got my phone back which had my boarding pass etc. on it, I doubt they would have been that interested.
“But it was a bit of a shock to say the least having never seen any crime before in Palma. In the UK I live in Manchester and I know which streets to stay away from the early hours. Now in Palma, in the future I will remain in well lit areas and if I’m tracked again will just sit in a main square of something until the potential threat has passed and I would advise other people to do the same and keep their eyes peeled and their wits about them. Also make sure phones and other valuable items are not on show. Next time I’ll make sure I’m wearing trousers with deeper pockets,” he told the Bulletin. "I was lucky he didn't pull a knife on me..."