Magaluf hotel fire – dad of brit arrest over £125k blaze says ‘flamethrower’ fire was probably a drunken prank that ‘got out of hand’
Brandon McCahill's dad defended the 21-year-old after he put lives at risk after using a makeshift flamethrower on his pal's socks
THE dad of a Brit accused of starting the Magaluf hotel blaze with a makeshift flamethrower has defended the lad by saying it was probably just a prank that got out of hand.
Lee McCahill stood up for Brandon, 21, days after he appeared in court suspected of starting the fire when he used an aerosol can and lighter to prank a sleeping pal, causing £125,000 in damage.
He and James Brown, also 21, were hauled before Spanish judges probing the blaze, along with 19-year-olds Georgia James and Lauren Smith.
Brandon's dad Lee from Stanley, County Durham, has not been close to his son since he was two-and-half years old, but he is keen to support him following the blaze at the BH Mallorca Hotel on Sunday.
The former construction worker told The Sun Online: "I was quite shocked. You hear about things like that happening but you don't expect it to be your own son.
"From the pictures I have seen from the outside, it looked quite bad. I'm glad no one's been hurt.
"It looks like he was messing about with an aerosol and it's got out of control. He's just been a lad.
"It's something that's got out of hand. More than likely something he's done when he's drunk too much.
"I reckon he's probably sitting there laughing and joking about it with his mates. They're lucky they're not facing prison for killing someone.
"I don't think anyone is stupid enough to do it on purpose. He's my son at the end of the day. I'm there for him if he needs me."
It comes shortly after footage emerged showing McCahill grimacing as he plays with a makeshift flamethrower.
His friends told Sun Online the video was filmed after a night out in 2016, adding: "Brandon is the joker of our group and likes to muck about.
"He likes a laugh, but I didn’t think he’d go that far. He was out there with a few others on a lad's holiday. They were supposed to fly back on the night he was in court.
"None of us have got any idea what’s going on at the moment. I think Brandon put something out on Snapchat last night – but otherwise he's been keeping a low profile.
Shocking footage shows tourists running for their lives after the massive blaze.
Firefighters rescued seven tourists trapped on the BH Mallorca Hotel's balconies after the blaze broke out.
A Civil Guard source said: "After interviewing several witnesses they discovered that in the room where the fire started there were two women and three men, that one of them was asleep and that the other four were bothering him using a lighter and an aerosol on his feet.
"The fire completely destroyed one room and affected others."
The four Brits have been released on bail after appearing in court yesterday, but are banned from leaving the island until they stump up £26,000 between them.
A court official said after their appearance: "The judge confiscated their passports and imposed a civil liability bond of 30,000 euros to be paid mutually. If they pay the money they will have their passports returned to them."
Respected local paper Diario de Mallorca said all four had claimed they were on the balcony smoking, chatting and drinking when the room began to burn.
The paper said they only found out the room was on fire on Sunday evening when they heard a woman screaming.
But police said yesterday they believed the four holidaymakers set light to the room after trying to wake up a pal who was asleep on the bed by burning his feet using an aerosol and a lighter.
The criminal probe will now continue before a decision is taken on whether they should face charges.
Footage from the scene showed terrified Brits running for their lives as thick black smoke and flames engulfed one of the apartments and firefighters brought more than 100 tourists to safety.
Holidaymakers could be heard screaming, telling others to "get out" over the sound of breaking glass, while three officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
Meanwhile, Lee, 47, has told his son he is "there for him" and is keen to support him.
Lee, from Stanley, County Durham, has not been close to his son since he was two-and-half years old, but was "quite shocked" to hear news of his arrest from his daughter yesterday.
The former construction worker said: "From the pictures I have seen from the outside, it looked quite bad. I'm glad no one's been hurt."
The blaze ripped through two rooms and caused damage estimated at around £125,000.
He added: "It looks like he was messing about with an aerosol and it's got out of control. Whether it's true or not I don’t know. It's more than likely something he's done when he's drunk too much.
"I have worried about him over the years. He's a young man now, he's an adult and he should be able to look after himself.
"He's just been a lad. It's something that's got out of hand. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to do it on purpose. It's too much drink, having fun and playing stupid games spiralling our of control really."
MOST READ IN NEWS
There is no current indication four Brits will be dealt with by way of a speedy trial.
The hotel is located in the Avenida de las Palmeras area of the town in Mallorca which is infamous for its raucous party scene.
In 2016, the hotel made headlines when three British men were filmed being beaten by staff.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.