A mum-of-four today described holding Conor Spragg's hand as he lay unconscious making choking sounds after being savagely beaten in the early hours of August 12.
Just an hour later, paramedics desperately trying to revive the 23-year-old pronounced him dead.
His death is now the subject of a Spanish police probe, with six Brits having appeared before a judge while cops continue their investigation.
Bystander Emma Whitton today told The Sun Online she and pal Andrew Tamplin found Conor – who she described as "quiet and gentle" – looking upset after a verbal altercation with a group of men.
Emma said the pair were having a final cigarette on the street before going to bed when the fight unfolded in front of them.
She said: "We didn't see who started the fight but saw Conor being hit and falling. As he was falling I saw him being violently kicked in the ribs and was doubled up.
"As he fell he was grabbed and thrown into the wall, hitting his head on a concrete ledge as he landed. This was right next to where I was sat on the concrete bench.
"The boy who hit him… went for him again. I stood up and said 'you had better go, he (Conor) is unconscious'.
"At this time my friend Andrew was dodging punches from everyone. The girls stood there shouting."
She said one of the men fighting with Conor then turned to her and said: "'Look at my nose look what he's done to it'.
"His nose was bleeding. I said 'just go' and then they all walked off."
After that, Emma and Andrew tried to help Conor, who she said was lying motionless on the ground.
"Andrew was talking to him and reassuring him everything would be OK, and he made a choking noise."
Five minutes later, with the help of a Spanish lad who stopped to help, police arrived and began checking him for signs of life.
Emma added: "The police thought he was drunk so we explained that he had been attacked and was unconscious.
"They checked for a pulse and they shone a torch in his eyes and the pupils were dilated.
"The ambulance turned up and they worked on him for around an hour before they pronounced him dead and covered him."
The couple were later asked to give statements to police, which they did, before a day later being asked to return to the local police to identify suspects and give a further statement to a judge.
Emma said: "We have been deeply affected by this, and just want people to know that although we only spent five minutes with Conor when he was alive, we could see that he definitely did not look drunk or intoxicated."
Early last week it emerged only one of the six Brits arrested over Conor's death was remanded in custody. The other five were released on bail pending the police probe.
The four men quizzed on suspicion of possible homicide were 18-year-old Lewis Nolan; Kyle Coen, also 18; Jordan Weston, 21; and William Peake, 18.
The other two men – questioned by police on suspicion of failing to assist Mr Spraggs, according to well-placed sources – were named as 20-year-olds Matthew Walshaw and Mark Cooper.
'GENTLE SOUL' CONOR SPRAGGS
In the aftermath of Conor Spragg's death, the 23-year-old's friends rallied together and described him as a "gentle soul with a heart of gold".
Friends told The Sun Online that his mother had flown out to Spain to collect his body and a crowdfunding appeal had been started to raise the £12,000 needed to bring him home.
Conor had intended to go to the Boomtown music festival last week near Winchester, but had gone to Ibiza by himself instead.
Bunches of flowers were placed on a bench close to his terraced house in Stevenage where he lived with his father.
One tribute read: "Conor 'My Guy' – something I'll miss saying. “Your (sic) going to be so missed by so many in this town, but never forgotten. Keep a seat up there for me brother. Robbie."
Grieving pals gathered outside his home.
One told The Sun: "He is not the sort of lad to get in trouble. I think he went out there alone so why would he be fighting with four others?
"I can't see him getting drunk if he was going home that day."
Friends set up a crowdfunding page and have already raised £3,000 of a £12,000 target to bring his body home.
The appeal says: “Conor was a gentle soul, with a heart of gold who is going to be deeply missed by family and friends and anyone who knew him.
“We are trying to raise enough money to fly his body home so he can be back with his family and put to rest in his home town.”
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