AN IRISH MAN who was fatally stabbed at a pub in the Costa del Sol in Spain yesterday has been named as 53 year-old John Pender.

He was a facilitator and mentor with the Dublin-based mental health charity Suicide or Survive, of which his wife, Caroline McGuigan, is the CEO and founder.

The deceased is understood to have been with his wife and another Irish couple at a local Irish bar when the incident happened.

In a statement yesterday evening, the board of the charity said it deeply regretted the loss of their “beautiful friend and colleague”.

“John’s sudden and tragic death has shocked us all and the loss of his huge presence leaves an immense void in our lives,” it read.

In a biography of him on the charity’s website, John said he had a “passionate belief that given the right environment people can take back control of their own lives”, and he dedicated his life to removing the stigma surrounding mental health.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told TheJournal.ie yestrerday that it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance to the family of the deceased.

Local police said in a statement yesterday that a 49 year-old British national was arrested at the scene, after attempting to flee following the incident.

Police also said that the victim and his attacker did not know each other.

With reporting from Gerard Couzens.