The man was then joined by his son, who hearing the commotion rushed to help his father. He didn’t try to kill anyone.
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“They said he was very strong and insisted on staying where they were till police cuffed the burglar”.
“And you can feel when someone is in pain, is losing his life, is short of breath”.
The father, 60, was on top of the suspect while the son had his arm around his neck, it is believed.
When officers arrived the suspected intruder was alive in a chokehold, but died when police tried to handcuff him, a report added.
The man and his son, of East London, are understood to have sustained minor injuries.
It was claimed today Brito had already stolen a computer from another house in the same street before he targeted the Taylors’ home.
The source described the intruder as a Portuguese national in his mid 20s, 1.9 metres (6ft 3in) tall and athletically built.
However, if they want to leave the neighbourhood they have to inform the Portuguese authorities.
The break-in is reported to have happened early Sunday morning in the resort of Vilamoura in the Algarve, where the couple, who are in their fifties, had lived for a number of years.
It is understood prosecutors in Loule near Vilamoura have been tasked with examining the case.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with police in Portugal regarding this incident and our embassy staff are ready to provide assistance if required”.
‘There had obviously been a struggle and the son was trying to restrain him while his dad tied his hands up.
A decision on their future is expected to be taken in the next few days.
They have been questioned by officers but not arrested.
Speaking yesterday a Portuguese police source said: “A judicial investigation is now underway”. It is up to the public prosecutor to decide what to make a formal accusation against the British family but I will say that they have been co-operative at all times and are very shocked and upset at what happened.
The family are thought have been questioned by Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria – the same force helping British police investigate the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
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Their son purchased the villa in 2002.
