Mother demands: How did Carla die?

Sep 19 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A TYNESIDE mother last night launched a fight to discover how her daughter died after she reportedly fell from a second floor balcony while on holiday in Ibiza.

Carla Newman was found dead outside her apartment in the Mediterranean island’s resort of San Antonio on Monday at about 3.30am.

Reports from Spanish journalists say the 22-year-old, from South Shields, fell to her death while trying to climb between two balconies on the building’s second floor.

Emergency services tried for more than 30 minutes to resuscitate Ms Newman, who worked at the Riverside Children’s Centre in Garrick Street, South Shields, but were unable to save her.

However, her mother, Lynne, also from South Shields, says she is upset and angry about the rumours surrounding her daughter’s death.

She said: “I’m angry there’s so many different tales as to what’s happened, when people don’t know yet. I don’t even know.

“My daughter was an intelligent, young girl and people are making out she was just a silly British tourist on holiday.”

Mrs Newman received news of the tragedy from her daughter’s fiancé Phil on Monday. She also said that all she had been told so far is that two girls had been with Miss Newman in the hotel room, and she'd returned to the apartment in the early hours of Monday as her bag was there.

A witness told Spanish newspapers they saw a woman perched on the outside of a balcony reaching to another, before hearing a scream.

The heartbroken mum now faces an anxious wait for her daughter’s body to be flown home. Social network site Facebook has been swamped with moving tributes for Ms Newman.

Nearly 250 people have joined a group in her memory and posted messages. Her fiancé Phil wrote: “Carla, love you babe and always will. I'll never forget you. You were my life. Love your darling fiance.”

Cousin Jan Holmes wrote: “I cannot believe you’re gone I am going to miss you so much, I hope you knew just how much I cared about you and just how much I loved you. You were that little ray of sunshine that brightened every room always full of fun and I know you have touched the hearts of many.”

Police are now investigating the incident and waiting for the results of post-mortem examinations.

A spokesman for the British Embassy confirmed that a 22-year-old British national had died.