Mystery death of stag do Brit found with snapped neck and his trousers round his ankles in Budapest brothel
Death of Paul Bush, 36, remains a mystery as Budapest police did not properly investigate the possibility he was robbed and murdered, Brit cops say
A STAG do Brit found dead in a brothel with his trousers down may have been robbed and murdered, an inquest heard.
But the death of Paul Bush, 36, remains a mystery as Budapest police failed to investigate properly, British cops say.
Satellite TV installer Paul had been on a bar crawl for pal Steve Palmer’s stag do in August 2014.
The group separated and Paul was seen on CCTV at 1.49am entering the brothel with a woman.
However, she left minutes later with a man and another woman. Paul’s body was found the next day at the bottom of a spiral staircase with his wallet and phone gone.
A post mortem found he had broken vertebrae in his neck and back, multiple rib and skull fractures and had suffered internal bleeding.
The inquest heard Mr Bush, who lived with his fiance Tracey Hodder and her two children, had organised the stag do for groom Steve Palmer in 2014.
The group of 12 friends arrived in Budapest at 11.45am on August 29 2014 and set out at 8.45pm on a pub crawl of six bars with a local guide.
Mr Bush was last seen by his friends on a dance floor at about 1am. Over the course of the night the group became separated and returned to the hotel at different times.
The confusion meant no one noticed Mr Bush was missing until 10.50am the following morning when the group met for breakfast and did a head count.
The group went to the police station to report him missing before being told he had been found dead.
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The Bournemouth inquest heard he may have hit the roof of a “wooden concierge structure” after falling over the banisters. Paul, of Weymouth, was found at the bottom of the stairs.
Coroner Sheriff Payne said: “The implication of Hungarian authorities is he has fallen off the stairs on to the roof. That accounts for the injuries not normally caused by a straight fall to the ground.”
Detective Constable Peter Gray, of Dorset Police, said his officers were frustrated by a lack of cooperation from Budapest.
He spoke of “unanswered questions” about the identification of suspects and forensic testing. Officials there ruled the death an accident.
Paul’s mum Cherry, 63, and fiancée Tracey, 47, also raised concerns. Mrs Bush says she flew to Hungary but was fobbed off by cops.
Mr Payne said foul play could not be ruled out. He added: "I think it is significant that no marks were found to his face, which would suggest he was not subjected to any direct assault, but I cannot exclude the possibility that someone was involved.
"He was found with his trousers around his ankles, his shoes and socks separate from his body - quite why that happened we don't know.
“The police are unwilling to provide any further information and I am unhappy to record a verdict of accident.”
Verdict: open.
Europe's haven of vice
BROTHELS are illegal in Budapest but cops tend to turn a blind eye, helping the city become one of the sex capitals of Europe.
Cheap booze, vibrant clubs and strip joints have also made it a popular destination for Brits on stag dos.
Beer costs about £1.40 a pint and many pubs and clubs have offers. Sex workers offer their services for less than £30 for half an hour.
And one firm offers the chance to rent a strip club for two hours for £28-a-head including a free bar.