Irish woman found dead with husband in Spain was successful businesswoman from Monaghan

Thomasina Tobin, 51, from Castleblayney in Co Monaghan, and her husband, Patrick Tobin, 48, originally from New Zealand, died on Tuesday in a rented villa in Cullera, near the city of Valencia.

The Irish mother found dead with her husband by a jacuzzi in Spain was a successful businesswoman from a well-known Monaghan family.

The lifeless bodies of Thomasina Tobin, née McArdle, 51, and her husband, Patrick Tobin, 48, were found by their two teenage children on Tuesday evening at the holiday villa they were renting in Cullera, a coastal town south of Valencia.

Autopsy results are still awaited following postmortem examinations carried out this week, the Guardia Civil in Valencia told the Irish Examiner on Saturday.

The results should establish the couple’s cause of death, but Spanish investigators currently believe that their deaths may have been caused by a malfunction of the jacuzzi.

The current hypothesis is that Mrs Tobin became trapped in the jacuzzi following a malfunction of the machine or a medical emergency and that, while her husband was trying to rescue her, he was either electrocuted or inhaled noxious fumes from the machine.

Toxicology reports are also awaited and are expected to provide more clarity on the investigation.

There was no sign of forced entry to the villa, and the upmarket Cap Blanc development where they were staying is gated with significant security infrastructure.

Successful career in London

Ms Tobin was a Trinity College Dublin graduate, having studied construction management and quantity surveying.

She went on to build a highly successful career in quantity surveying and construction in London, working on many major projects, including iconic hotels such as The Ritz and The Shangri-La at The Shard in London.

Her family in Monaghan is well-known and highly respected in the GAA and arts communities.

Her father, Tommy McArdle, from Drumhowan, near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, played football for his county alongside his twin brother, John. The twins also collaborated on film and theatre projects, writing, acting and producing together.

Tommy McArdle produced and directed film and TV and worked for RTÉ, including on the drama series Glenroe.

Three relatives from Ireland have flown to Spain to be with the couple’s children, aged 14 and 15.

The Tobin family had been on holiday in a luxury rental villa in Cap Blanc in the town of Cullera, south of Valencia.

Cullera, which has around 24,600 inhabitants, reaches around 150,000 residents in the summer.

The family’s rented villa was in an elevated position above the town, with views over the Gulf of Valencia.

Initially, there was some concern that the couple may have been murdered, as small cuts or puncture wounds were found on the bodies.

However, investigators now believe the deaths were accidental, possibly as a result of a mechanical failure in the jacuzzi, and that the wounds on one of the bodies, in particular, may have been caused while attempting to rescue their spouse from the water.