A man was taken to hospital after downing a glass of corrosive cleaning liquid, believing it to be wine – the barman had allegedly played a prank on him.

The incident, which occurred in Gogollos de Guadix at the beginning of the month, started out as a joke at the pensioners’ club. The barman had poured the customer, who is a family relation, a glass of local wine, but whilst the barman had his back turned, the customer swigged most of the wine and filled the glass with water. He then complained that the wine was watered down and undrinkable, demanding a real glass of wine.

The barman allegedly thought that it would be cool revenge to fill his glass with a cleaning liquid used in bars. The victim knocked it back and almost immediately felt the disastrous effects. He was rushed to hospital.

Even with his mouth, gullet and stomach burned, Juan Checa refused to denounce what had happened, as it is a small town, perhaps, and the barman is a relation of his. He even turned up two weeks later at the pensioners’ club, as if nothing had happened.

People there are treating it as an accident; a mix up. In fact, at first Juan Checa claimed in the hospital that the incident had occurred at his own home. Only now has this full version come out.

Although Juan’s sister cannot understand for the life of her why Juan should seek to protect Ramón, the barman, it appears that their friendship is stronger than the corrosive cleaning fluid.

(News: Cogollos de Guadix, Granada, Andalucia)