Costa Blanca
Guardia Civil complete investigation into John George gun murder

The Guardia Civil has verified that John George, a Belfast resident, was fatally shot on December 14th, and they have declared that their investigation into his murder has been finalised.
Guardia Civil officers have also appeared to rule out the possibility of additional arrests after revealing that the evidence they have gathered indicates that the two suspects were present with the 37-year-old victim at the time of his most recent communication with his father.
Jonny Smyth, the suspected murderer, was apprehended at an Airbnb in Braga, northern Portugal, on March 25th and subsequently extradited to Spain earlier this month.
The initial arrestee, a Czech national who has not been officially identified, is currently released on bond; however, he is still under investigation as an alleged accomplice.
Only the two arrests and the discovery of John’s body in Rojales, near Torrevieja on Spain’s Costa Blanca, were confirmed by detectives, who had been extremely reticent regarding their investigation.
Today, they announced their initial comprehensive comments regarding the case by releasing new video footage of property searches they conducted as part of their investigation and footage from the location in an orchard where the victim’s body was discovered.
Additionally, they stated that the primary suspect abandoned his two pet dogs when he departed Spain with his girlfriend in a hurry in order to elude capture, following John’s father Billy’s report of his disappearance.
According to a spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Alicante, the investigation into the disappearance of a young Irish man in December of last year has been finalised. This follows the arrest of the alleged material author of the man’s homicide in Braga, Portugal, in April and the subsequent extradition of the individual.
“The victim’s body was discovered approximately two weeks after his father reported him missing, believing that he was in Benidorm visiting friends.”
The body was discovered in Rojales, near Torrevieja, by investigators who conducted a thorough investigation of the area due to their suspicion that the man’s disappearance was involuntary and that the crime associated with it may have been committed in the area.
“The two suspects had already been identified by the officers prior to the discovery.” On the same day that the body was discovered, one of them was apprehended.
The force spokesman stated that the police investigation commenced on December 21st when Mr. George reported his son missing after flying to Spain from Northern Ireland to search for him. He also stated that officers began a reconstruction of what could have happened from the moment the victim vanished after reaching Spain on December 6th.
“They contacted individuals who had been in contact with him since that day and interviewed witnesses.”
“The evidence they collected indicated that the deceased man was in the company of the two individuals who were identified as the primary suspects at the time of his last communication with his father.”
“The initial arrest was made a few hours after the body was discovered. The individual in question is a 32-year-old Czech national who resides in Torrevieja. He is suspected of being an accomplice and is currently out on bail.”
“The Guardia Civil continued its efforts to locate the second suspect, the individual who was suspected of being the perpetrator of the murder. Investigators have gathered information that the individual allegedly fled Spain after the homicide and after the police were informed of his disappearance.”
“He fled the country with his girlfriend in a hurry, leaving his two pet dogs at his residence on the Orihuela Costa on the Costa Blanca in order to evade capture.”
“The Guardia Civil requested the issuance of a European Arrest Warrant for him and the collaboration of other police forces through Interpol. He was apprehended in Portugal on March 25th and extradited to Spain on April 3rd.”
Officers have referred to Smyth as an individual who has “previous in his country of origin,” despite the fact that Spanish police did not formally identify him in an extensive statement.
It was not immediately apparent whether they were referring to his criminal record with convictions or his status as a person known to the police as a result of previous arrests.
In anticipation of an ongoing investigation conducted by a judge in Torrevieja, he has been remanded in detention.
The autopsy revealed that the victim died from gunshot wounds on the night of December 14th, the same day that the victim spoke with his father for the last time and a week before the father reported him missing, according to the Guardia Civil.
During a property search, the police removed tin foil-wrapped parcels from an air conditioning vent, as evidenced by the video footage released by the police force.
The footage did not immediately indicate which of the two suspects’ properties were being searched.
The defence attorney for the man who is being described as an alleged accomplice and the first individual to be apprehended has justified the decision to detain his client by referencing his “recent friendship” with Smyth.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
Firefighters rescue a hiker after fracturing her tendon whilst hiking

A 68-year-old woman was rescued by members of the Provincial Fire Consortium at the Albir Lighthouse in Alfaz del Pi (Alicante) on Saturday, April 26th. She was en route to the l’Alt del Governador de la Serra Gelada when she sustained a fracture of the Achilles tendon, rendering it impossible for her to recommence walking.
The rescue helicopter Alpha 01 and the special group of rescue (GER) were deployed to the scene after the notice was received at approximately 12:28 p.m., according to a statement from the Consortium.
The helicopter was activated to provide rescue services with the GER when the woman was unable to reach the ambulance due to the area’s orography.
The firefighters descended to their position after they were located, and the injured joint was splinted.
Subsequently, they deployed a hoist to elevate the woman to the helicopter, which transported her to San Vicente Park, where she was met by a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit. The intervention concluded at 1:35 p.m.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
National Police arrest two women in Benidorm for stealing from tourists

Two women have been apprehended by the National Police in Benidorm for stealing wallets and luggage from tourists, which are believed to contain their most valuable possessions, near their vacation rentals.
The investigation commenced in late 2024, although officers were already aware of the actions of these individuals as a result of numerous other incidents that had occurred on the same premises, including thefts from travellers who were preparing to arrive or depart from their accommodations.
The consistent modus operandi facilitated the investigation, enabling the discovery of the individuals after nearly half a year.
Both suspects were travelling from Alicante to Benidorm in a vehicle and were observed loitering in the city’s tourist areas. They concentrated their attention on the entrances of hotels and public transport stations for the purpose of observing tourist arrivals and pickups.
They selected these locations where tourists are waiting with their luggage, either to be served by reception staff or to be picked up by transport, as these are the times when they give the least attention to their belongings.
The two women also did not hesitate to follow elderly individuals who had departed from these tourist accommodations to wander around, with the intention of exploiting their negligence and stealing their belongings from their purse or knapsack.
The robbery was consistently executed in the same manner. One of them monitored the area and provided cover, while the other perpetrated the larceny of the property. They then fled in the vehicle they frequently used.
In this manner, the investigation was able to identify the actions of the two suspects, who made Benidorm their preferred location, in at least five specific incidents that took place between September 2024 and March 2025. Each of these incidents revealed evidence of their involvement.
The judicial authority deprived both women of their right to access the restricted area of Benidorm, which includes the area where they conducted their criminal activity, as a preventive measure to eradicate their criminal activity in the city, following their arrest.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Costa Blanca
Kirsty Maxwell Benidorm balcony death to be probed in new series

A new series expects the five men who last saw Kirsty Maxwell alive to provide answers in a podcast that investigates her mysterious death in Spain.
After a night out on a hen do in 2017, Kirsty, a newlywed, plummeted to her death from a balcony at a hotel in Benidorm.
Before her death, Kirsty, 27, of Livingston, inadvertently entered a 10th-floor flat that was occupied by five British men: Joseph Graham, Ricky Gammon, Anthony Holehouse, Callum Northridge and Daniel Bailey.
In July 2020, they were cleared of being homicide suspects after judges determined that there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and no indication that she had not fallen to her death.
Nevertheless, Kirsty’s mother and father, who are devastated, are adamant that she did not leap of her own volition. The case and an appeal for information are the focus of the six-part podcast, “What happened to Kirsty Maxwell.”
True Crime podcaster Naomi Channell, who narrates and produces the series, says, “I do not believe it was a tragic accident.” All the evidence suggests that she was fleeing from something.
“There are still numerous unanswered questions.”
“It is my sincere hope that this will exert pressure on the authorities and on those who were present in the flat but have never been adequately investigated.”
Naomi met Kirsty’s family at a UK Crimecon convention in 2023, where she was present with Sue Horan, the wife of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away under suspicious circumstances at the residence of television personality Michael Barrymore in 2001.
In her podcast, she recounts how upon Kirsty’s arrival at the apartments with her friends, “a shirtless man” approached them at the elevators and enquired, “Who wants to get f*** tonight?”
Kirsty returned to the apartments early in the morning after a night out, during which she consumed alcohol but did not have any narcotics in her system.
It is unclear why she awoke, proceeded to the 10th floor, and knocked on the door of room 10E. The room was shared by five men, including the shirtless man, who were all from the Nottingham area.
One of them informed the authorities. Before jumping over the Juliette balcony to her demise, Kirsty attempted to climb through a small window in the bathroom and then ran through the apartment window.
Naomi stated, “Kirsty died instantly after falling at 7.51 a.m.” One of the men reported to the police that he had observed her fall. This individual was the sleeveless man, and his name is Joseph Graham.
Adam, Kirsty’s spouse, received a call from the Spanish police informing him that she had passed away. He was compelled to inform her mother, Denise, of the tragic news. The couple had married only eight months prior.
Brian Curry, her father, expressed his disbelief, stating, “Even to this day, it is extremely difficult to accept.”
The podcast delves into the process by which Kirsty’s family travelled to Benidorm to initiate their own investigation three months after her death, as they encountered a “wall of silence” from the police.
Naomi, a podcaster from Essex, stated, “No parent should ever be required to investigate the death of their own child.”
“Brian requested 12 hours of footage that encompassed the period prior to and following Kirsty’s death; however, the police provided him with only seven minutes of edited footage.
Kirsty’s fall is not depicted in a traumatic three-second footage captured by a camera at the poolside, which captures her impact with the ground. Brian is of the opinion that the footage was edited by an individual.
“According to investigators, the remaining CCTV footage has disappeared.” The police were compelled to acknowledge that they had disposed of the garments the day following Kirsty’s death. Her attire would have served as indispensable evidence.
“They claimed that the reason was that the clothing was stained with blood.” They acknowledged that the only method of examination was visual.
David Swindle, the retired Strathclyde detective who established Victims Abroad, was astounded by the deficiencies of the investigation.
He stated that the Spanish Police failed to conduct thorough investigations into the evidence, including independent witnesses, and did not advance forensics or CCTV footage.
“These men were not separated and were not interviewed properly.” DNA issues were encountered, samples were not collected, and Kirsty’s clothing was incinerated.
“Throughout my tenure as an investigator, I was unable to comprehend it.” “If we had all of that, we would be better equipped to understand what transpired with Kirsty.”
The podcast, which will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon on April 29, commemorates the eight-year anniversary of Kirsty’s passing.
Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
Torrevieja fails to comply with its commitment to open new road at La Hoya for Easter
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
Torrevieja records a 2.8 magnitude earthquake
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
Arrested in Murcia for activities linked to jihadist terrorism
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
The Alicante Tourist Board website now available in seven languages
-
Costa Blanca1 week ago
Benidorm will celebrate the 40th ‘Bike Day for All’ on May 4th
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
Two new quad bikes to monitor the beaches of Benidorm
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
Elderly man held captive by couple who scammed him out of 85,000€
-
Costa Blanca2 weeks ago
Torrevieja aims to have 200 local police officers by 2027