EXCLUSIVE - 'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time': Actor James Purefoy speaks out after his 18-year-old son is arrested following 'assault' in Majorca
- Joseph Purefoy, 18, was arrested after an alleged assault in Deia, Majorca
- Appeared in court on Monday and was released without charge
- Alleged victim phoned police from hotel once owned by Richard Branson
The British actor James Purefoy today said his 18-year-old son Joseph was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' after he was arrested following a brawl at a house party in Majorca.
Guardia Civil officers detained Joseph after a reported fracas at the gathering in the mountain town of Deia where Bob Geldof and singer Caroline Corr own homes.
The star's son was held in a police cell with two other teenagers - a British holidaymaker and an Irish tourist - before going to court on Monday.
There, it is understood he was released without charge. His father today said that his son had now returned to the UK.
In a statement released through his publicist Public Eye Communications, the television star told MailOnline: 'I would like to add some clarification. My son, Joseph, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
'Whilst he was indeed arrested by the Mallorcan police it was as a round-up of potential culprits in an alleged assault on one of the boys he was staying with.
'He was, however, released without any charge and the Mallorcan authorities have stated that he will face no further consequences whatsoever as he is innocent of all allegations. He did not even witness the alleged incident taking place. He is now back in the UK.'
Civil Guard officers in Majorca confirmed they had arrested three men at a property in Deia after an allegation of assault was made.
No charge: Joseph (left), the son of British actor James Purefoy (right), was arrested along with two other teenagers in Majorca on Saturday when police attended a house in Deia, Majorca
The alleged victim - a 19-year-old Brit - phoned police from Richard Branson's former hotel La Residencia after fleeing the property.
The incident happened on Saturday morning at a rented house near the hotel. The arrests took place at 10.30am.
A Civil Guard spokesman said: 'We attended an address in Deia and spoke to a young man who claimed he had been the victim of an assault.
'He subsequently identified the men he said had assaulted him. They were taken into custody before being handed over to an investigating magistrate.'
A source close to the case said: 'The teenager had been partying. He sought help after leaving the property and going to La Residencia.
'He was taken to a nearby health centre for medical attention.'
A spokesman from La Residencia confirmed that a man had come to the hotel before 7am on Saturday morning to ask for help.
He said: 'The night manager who was here said someone came to the hotel... He saw someone was injured and wanted help and called for an ambulance.
'The man who came here was not a guest at the hotel so it was totally unrelated to the hotel.'
The nearby health centre the alleged victim was taken to said they could not comment for 'privacy reasons'.
Released: Joseph Purefoy (right, in 2012 with his father) was arrested on Saturday morning after an alleged assault but has since reportedly been released without charge
Famous: Joseph's father James Purefoy (pictured) is a British actor best known for his roles in fantasy film Solomon Kane and TV series The Following
Joseph's father, from Taunton in Somerset, is best known for portraying the title character in the 2009 epic fantasy film Solomon Kane.
He also starred as a professor-turned-serial killer Joe Carroll in the TV series The Following alongside Hollywood star Kevin Bacon.
He was once romantically linked to Gwyneth Paltrow and told in an interview in February 2011 how his perfect weekend involved spending time with his son, then 14.
He said at the time: 'On a Friday night I do like to mix myself an end-of-week cocktail... Following which, I'll take my son Joe off to the cinema.
'He's 14 now, and thankfully, after years of watching kids' films like G-Force (about a squad of hamster detectives) we're starting to see slightly more grown-up movies, during which I don't doze off.'
Joseph, who is thought to have been born in Ireland, is his only child with former British actress wife Holly Aird.
James and his son posed together on the red carpet for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory press night at the Theatre Royal in June 2013. The handsome pair wore matching sharp suits and skinny ties.
Bond: James is said to be close to his son, Joseph. He once said in an interview that on Friday nights he likes nothing more than pouring himself a cocktail and going with him to the cinema to watch a film
Detained: Actor James Purefoy's son Joseph (pictured) was arrested by police in Majorca after an alleged fracas on Saturday night. The reported victim, 19, is said to have run to a nearby hotel to call police
Escape: The alleged victim - a 19-year-old Brit - phoned police from Richard Branson's former hotel La Residencia (pictured) after fleeing the property
Punishment for minor assault is normally a fine, especially for first-time offenders with no criminal record in Spain.
The extent of the alleged victim’s injuries are not clear.
James was said to have had a fleeting romance with Paltrow after his break-up with Holly Aird, who made her name in British TV drama Soldier, Soldier before starring as Frankie Wharton in 'Waking the Dead.'
They were said to have met while the Hollywood actress made her West End debut in the play Proof at the Donmar Warehouse after his 2002 split from his ex.
The Rome actor described Paltrow as a 'lovely girl' in an interview last year as he joked about being contacted by a zealous employee of his car insurance company after a paparazzi got a shot of her sitting beside him in his car.
He recalled: 'He said we're slapping POUNDS a year on your insurance because you're driving around with Gwyneth Paltrow.'
La Residencia - now known as Belmond La Residencia - is one of Spain's finest luxury boutique hotels.
Richard Branson's son Sam announced in February he and his wife Bella had named their daughter Eva-Deia after Sam's grandmother Eve and Deia, which the Virgin boss described at the time as 'one of the most beautiful villages in the world.'
Bob Geldof and Kate Moss are regular visitors to the town. Caroline Corr and husband Frank Woods are also familiar faces.
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