The men that Spanish police believe were involved in John George’s murder have been identified by a BBC investigation. International arrest orders have been issued for 26-year-old Jonny Smyth, a fugitive who was born in Belfast but has been residing in Spain.

In relation to the murder, Michal Maly, 32, a Czech national and former member of the French Foreign Legion, has made judicial appearances. Before his body was found, John George went missing in Alicante for 21 days in December.

In the meantime, a lot of people were paying attention to his family’s quest for answers. Billy, his father, claimed that despite John’s drug addiction and subsequent decline into criminality, he had stayed close to the family.

The 37-year-old went missing in December after vacationing in Spain at a friend’s house. The George family searched for 21 days without finding any answers, despite intense online interest in the case, weeks of searching, and wild speculation from true crime fans.

It was evident that foul play had occurred when authorities eventually found John’s body in a lemon grove in Rojales. Before being shot in the face and chest, he had been stabbed and assaulted.

After weeks of investigation, the BBC uncovered startling information about the criminal underworld where John was murdered.

Spotlight: Who Killed John George? will air on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22.40 tonight, March 11th and be accessible on BBC iPlayer.

According to the BBC, the Guardia Civil unit in charge of the inquiry thinks it knows who killed John George.

In relation to the murder, Michal Maly was taken into custody and made an appearance in court. A Spanish judge granted him bail with tight conditions. A number of arrest warrants have been issued for Jonny Smyth. He is still evading justice after fleeing Spain in the weeks following the murder.

Before his death, John George had been staying at Jonny Smyth’s house in Spain. All of the Alicante region’s investigating teams, including the one working on the John George case, are led by Guardia Civil Col. Antonio Darder. “I want the family to understand that the work done from day one was intense and in the end we managed to find the body of the deceased,” he stated. Now that we have a known suspect, we anticipate that he will be taken into custody shortly. Arrest warrants for overseas travel have already been issued. “We will employ every international mechanism at our disposal, including Interpol and any other tools required, to find him wherever he may be hiding. “I believe he will soon be arrested.”

Additionally, the BBC found that some potentially important evidence was destroyed due to the length of time it took to recover John’s remains. Two weeks later, before police were aware of the murder’s location, a CCTV recording that would have shown the murder taking place was erased. During this period, several people claiming to be assisting the family in their quest for John’s remains were creating false leads.

The family claims that two men John had been hanging out with on the day of his disappearance provided conflicting information about where he was last seen. It was untrue to say he was in police custody, was getting ready to go home, or had been seen partying in another place.

Billy George, John’s father, claimed that his son had a heroin addiction and that as it grew worse, he had been more drawn to crime. After John’s death, charges related to a £30,000 cannabis haul were dropped from a Belfast court in January.

Reformed criminal Marvin Herbert is well aware of the perilous nature of the Spanish expat criminal underworld. “Debt collection, drug trafficking, assault, shooting, and gun ownership.” “I didn’t do anything over there,” he told the BBC. “And it ended with me being shot five times.”

Marvin has personally witnessed how those involved in the drug trade perceive small-time offenders like John George. “Simple, target. “That’s him, because without him, who would be upset? When he is slapped, who will be upset? For example, what will he do? “The crooks think about things like that. It’s simply cruel.

With the conclusion of the draft law on assistance dogs, the Generalitat advances accessibility and inclusion for individuals with disabilities.

The rights of those who rely on these animals for their daily mobility and safety are updated and strengthened by this new law, which ensures their access to any environment.

Before the Consell Jurídic Consultiu issues its opinion before parliamentary procedure, the paper was sent to the Consell Plenary Session today, Tuesday 11th March, for approval.

The significance of this legislative update has been emphasised by Susana Camarero, the First Vice President and Minister of Social Services, Equality, and Housing, who has stated that “with this new regulation, we guarantee that all people who need an assistance dog have the appropriate legal support.”

Due to the fact that “this decree represents a real step forward in accessibility and inclusion,” Susana Camarero has emphasised the benefits of this change. Our goal is to create a society where everyone may exercise their rights with assurance, free from limitations and prejudice.

The rule considers expanding the beneficiary groups, such as assistance dogs for those with autism spectrum disorders or support dogs for the early identification of sensory disconnection in conditions like diabetes or epilepsy.

One of the significant aspects of the new law is that it specifically regulates assistance dogs based on their circumstances once their duty is over, safeguarding their welfare.

To ensure the legal security of individuals with disabilities and of the different agents involved in the use and training of assistance dogs, the new Act also creates updated and unambiguous requirements.

The establishment of a regulatory framework that sets assistance dogs apart from emotional support and aided therapy animals, preventing regulatory confusion, is another novel aspect.

Furthermore, there are regulations governing the training and certification of assistance dogs, which strengthens the industry’s professionalism and service quality.

Assistance dog users no longer face obstacles thanks to enhanced and comprehensive access rights to public areas, transportation, and establishments.

Additionally, an official assistance dog register will be established, enhancing oversight and traceability.

The Generalitat reaffirms its dedication to promoting the independence of those with disabilities and creating an environment that is accessible to everyone with this update.

The most recent report from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) claims that flagship stations—those who enter into an exclusivity agreement with a fuel distributor—continue to suffer as independent service facilities expand. There are 12,631 operational establishments on Spanish territory, according to data from this entity as of December 31, 2024. This is 96 more points of sale than the previous year. However, the majority of them are self-sufficient.

More and less expensive petrol stations

According to the report released by this organisation on February 27th, 2025, independent gas stations accounted for “just over 45% of the network” of gas stations in 2024. The CNMC emphasises “the continuous increase in the networks of Plenergy , Petroprix and Ballenoil (acquired by Cepsa-Moeve while retaining its brand)” . The report notes that these three independent brands’ installations resulted in a corresponding increase in their number of points of sale of 291, 280, and 159.

According to data, these numbers are in contrast to those from 2009, when independent petrol stations made up 28% and the three major operators (BP, Repsol, and Moeve) 55%.

Additionally, these independent brands were used by the service stations that reported a reduced price in 2024. Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona)’s Plenergy station had the lowest price for 95 gasoline, “followed by two with the Bonarea label in Olesa de Montserrat (Barcelona) and Castellgalí (Barcelona)”. However, two petrol stations with the Ballenoil label in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and Torrevieja (Alicante) had the lowest prices for A diesel. These were followed by one with the Petroprix label in Gijón (Asturias) and another with the Plenergy label in Villareal (Castellón).

Additionally, the newsletter provides additional details about Spanish petrol stations. For instance, 14.3% of the network is made up of “unattended or partially unattended” petrol stations.

Less than 25%, between 25% and 50%, and between 50% and 75% of opening hours are partially unattended, while the bulk of this percentage are entirely unattended, meaning that over 75% of operating hours are unattended. In comparison to 2023, there are now 1,799 stations that fit these criteria, which is 338 higher than the previous year.

Despite the promotion of electric automobiles, which hardly increased their sales in 2024, the CNMC also noted that “demand for 95-octane petrol and diesel A was 2.0% higher than in 2023.”