Four years after 46-year-old Tobias White-Sansom, a father of two from Nottingham, UK, died in a Spanish hospital following an altercation with security and law enforcement in the holiday resort of Magaluf, new evidence has breathed fresh hope into his family’s long fight for accountability.
White-Sansom was on a family holiday in July 2022 when he accompanied his teenage nephew and the nephew’s girlfriend for a night out at a local nightclub. After removing his T-shirt due to high temperatures, a disagreement broke out, and nightclub staff pinned him to the ground before calling law enforcement. When Spain’s Guardia Civil arrived, White-Sansom was handcuffed, struck with a Taser, and injected with sedatives before suffering cardiac arrest, according to his family. He was placed in an induced coma, and five days later, his family made the agonizing decision to remove life support. His older brother, Maximilian White, a medical cannabis entrepreneur, held him as he died.
In the years since, White has waged a relentless campaign to uncover the full truth of his brother’s death, pushing for a formal investigation and criminal charges against those involved. Last month, the family received a newly completed blood spatter analysis report and a Spanish court order that has reignited their hopes of formal criminal proceedings moving forward. The report, which examined blood stains on White-Sansom’s T-shirt, trainers, and a sock, found that multiple individual stains are consistent both with blood spatter caused by external force and drip stains from gravity. The family says this evidence suggests excessive force was used during the altercation and subsequent restraint, a claim that will now be evaluated by an investigating judge to determine if a criminal case should proceed.
An ambulance report reviewed by the BBC notes that White-Sansom had consumed drugs and was agitated when emergency services arrived, and that he was administered fentanyl and other medications. The Guardia Civil has not responded to repeated requests for detailed comment beyond its initial 2022 statement, which confirmed that officers restrained White-Sansom to allow medical assistance, and that he was formally placed under arrest on an assault charge prior to his death.
Speaking to the BBC shortly after receiving the new evidence, White said he would not abandon his push for justice. “I won’t stop until we get answers for Toby,” he said, noting that the narrative of his brother as a reckless, drunk tourist on a stag do has always been false. “He wasn’t with a group of lads on a trip — he went out to keep my son company, because I didn’t want him going alone. That’s why this fight matters so much: for his two children to know who their father really was, and to make sure someone is held accountable for what happened.”
White described the long process of seeking justice as an “uphill battle” that remains bittersweet even with the new development. “Even when you get what you’ve been fighting for, it doesn’t bring him back,” he said. “The whole brutality of what happened that night killed my brother, and someone needs to answer for that.”
A UK coroner’s inquest into White-Sansom’s death was opened in 2022 but paused to allow the Spanish investigation to proceed. White says if the Spanish process does not deliver justice, he will push for the case to be moved back to UK courts. The family’s Spanish lawyer, Jaime Campaner, told the BBC that the drawn-out investigation is highly unusual for the region. “I’ve never seen a case with this combination of circumstances and such a long delay,” Campaner said. “I’ve been pushing for progress for years, and the blame for the delay lies squarely with the Guardia Civil.”
Campaner added that the new blood spatter evidence could be a turning point for the case. The investigating judge will now review the evidence and decide whether to open formal criminal proceedings or dismiss the case. While no court date has been set, Campaner estimates that the investigative phase will conclude by the end of 2026, with a criminal trial likely to begin in 2027 if proceedings are approved.
For White, the end goal is not just punishment, but closure. “When you lose a sibling, it’s like losing your entire history — every memory, every part of who you are, is tied up with them,” he said. “We all just want to close this chapter, get justice for Toby, and finally put this pain to rest.”