Story By: Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
This Croatian criminal with a Charles-Manson-style swastika tattoo on his forehead has been charged over 100 times including for biting a British tourist’s ear off and he has now been arrested again – for murder.
Local media said that Stipe Ringwald was arrested in the Croatian coastal town of Sibenik for the murder of 38-year-old Karmelin Fistanic who he allegedly shot in the head at least six times.
The incident took place on 9th November in the town of Omis on the country’s Adriatic coast.
According to reports, the suspect, a former motorcyclist, is a minor celebrity in his hometown due to his criminal record which includes over 100 charges.
One of the charges took place on the small island on Hvar in June 2006 when British tourists Ricky Donnelly and Alan Kirby were attacked by Ringwald and three of his friends.
At the time, Donnelly stated: “The guy looked rough and we didn’t retaliate. We moved on a bit and then around four of them jumped on Alan.
“I went to help and a whole crew appeared and the next thing I knew they were on top of me, kicking my face and ribs. One guy got me on the ground and bit part of my ear off. He tried to bite my thumb off completely. Some people managed to pull his jaw away. When he let go I just ran.”
Donnelly had to undergo a series of operations to repair the bite injuries to his thumb and ear.
Ringwald was reportedly sentenced to 18 months in prison for the incident in Hvar.
In another incident in September 2004, he was arrested on the Spanish-French border with 26 kilogrammes of hashish.
Reports said that Ringwald has recently been seeing walking around Sibenik while wearing monk robes and brandishing a machete.
The investigation into Karmelin Fistanic’s death is currently ongoing.
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