Fugitive wanted for killing Northern Irishman John George in Alicante arrested
The body of the Belfast man was found in Rojales, Costa Blanca, in early January
The victim, John George, (left) with his alleged killer
The Irish fugitive wanted for the murder of John George was arrested in the Portuguese town of Braga on Tuesday March 25. The 37-year-old Northern Irish man was found shot to death in a lemon grove in Rojales on January 7. His alleged killer had not fled to Thailand, as the authorities initially believed, but was instead hiding out much closer to home in Portugal.
Although three separate arrest warrants were issued, so far the police have only confirmed this one arrest. The 26-year-old suspect will now be brought before the Guimarães Court of Appeal to assess his detention and the extradition request to Spain, according to Portuguese police.
The suspect, a fellow Northern Ireland citizen, has been named by the Irish authorities as Jonathan Alan Smyth, who goes by the name Jonny Smyth.
It’s understood that he was staying in an Airbnb in Portugal with his girlfriend, who booked the accommodation under her name.
The captured fugitive is an acquaintance of John George and his picture has been shared all over social media by family and friends of the victim as one of the last people to have seen the Belfast man alive.
In fact, police in Ireland have confirmed that John George’s family played a vital role in pinpointing Portugal as the likely hideout of the fugitive.
The Guardia Civil in Spain has already arrested a 32-year-old Czech citizen in relation to the murder. He appeared in court in Torrevieja and was released. During his appearance, the detainee denied involvement in John George's death, and his testimony was crucial in helping the authorities locate the victim's body.
John George travelled to the Costa Blanca last December to meet up with friends in Cabo Roig in Orihuela Costa. He last spoke to his family by phone on December 14 and on December 18, he had booked a return flight from Alicante-Elche Airport, but never boarded his plane.
John George's family and friends flew to Alicante to join in the large-scale search efforts. His body was eventually found on January 7 by the Guardia Civil under a lemon tree on a property in Rojales.
Speaking about the arrest in Portugal, a police spokesperson said: “We believe he had been at the Airbnb for around a month. We don't know where he was before that.
“He was travelling on his own passport and wasn’t using fake ID but his girlfriend had made the booking and it wasn’t made in his name.
"While he was on the run he tried to fool the Spanish authorities into thinking he was somewhere in the Middle East with photos he posted online.
“He was held yesterday morning in his room. He didn’t resist arrest.”
In other news: Orihuela Costa left without a new medical centre
Image: Facebook
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