Gran Scala

Mark Cambell arrested after wife stabbed to death

A wealthy casino entrepreneur has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing his businesswoman wife to death as they attempted to rebuild their marriage after planning to divorce.

Mark Cambell, 53, was discovered with serious knife wounds to his neck and wrists close to the body of his wife, Olga Pleguezuelos, 35, at their penthouse apartment.

The couple were reported to have initiated divorce proceedings but were living together again in Harrow-on-the-Hill, north west London, after several months apart.

Ms Pleguezuelos’s Spanish family today spoke of their horror at the brutal death. They said that Mr Campbell had called police to the couple’s home on Monday morning. Her sister, Eva, said: “It’s very difficult to cope with the idea that such a young person like Olga has died at the hands of someone who ended her life because she wanted to be independent, free, defend her rights and be able to exercise her career as she though fit.”

One resident of the block where the couple lived said: “I don’t know the woman but I spoke to a neighbour of hers who said that she heard a lot of arguing coming from her flat late Sunday night.”

Ms Pleguezuelos, who spoke four languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese, was a marketing manager for the London-based gaming firm Aristocrat Europe. She was due to take up a new post as sales director for the firm in Las Vegas later this year.

Her husband was a director of a company promoting one of the world’s biggest casino projects. The Gran Scala casino city in northern Spain will comprise around 32 hotel-casinos, 18 theme parks, a horse racing track, shops and museums.

He was also thought to have been planning to move to the US in the coming months to look for operators for the Gran Scala complex.

Mr Campbell, the Singapore-born son to a Scottish father and Swedish mother, is thought to have grown up in Scotland and Manchester.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said today that officers had been called by an occupant of the house where the crime happened.

“A 53-year-old man was arrested at the scene. He has suffered injuries to his neck and wrist,” said the spokesman.

“A post-mortem gave Olga Pleguezuelos’s cause of death as stab wounds. An inquest will be opened in due course.” Mr Campbell was released from hospital last night and is expected to be interviewed by murder squad detectives today.

Alex Fierek, a spokesman for Aristocrat Technologies,said that Ms Pleguezuelos’s colleagues were “deeply shocked and saddened” to hear of her death.

“To all those who knew her, Olga was a breath of fresh air. She will be greatly missed by all her friends and colleagues at Aristocrat,” said Mr Fierek.

Ms Pleguezuelos, who had worked at the company since 2007, was due to start a new life as marketing manager for Latin America in the company’s Las Vegas office, an appointment that Mr Fierek said reflected her “capability, professionalism and enthusiasm”.

“Our immediate thoughts and condolences are with Olga’s family and friends,” said Mr Fierek. “Olga was a popular and respected member of the Aristocrat team, both in our London office and globally.”

octubre 23, 2009 - Publicado por Granscalina | *Viva Gran Scala | English, Gran Scala