Alex Trelinski
A NORTHERN Ireland man has been arrested in Portugal over the murder of Belfast father-of-two John George.
The 26-year-old, has been named as Jonathan ‘Jonny’ Alan Smyth from County Antrim, who was picked up in the northern city of Braga.
He was allegedly staying in an AirBnB with his girlfriend and is now being held in a Braga police station.
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A spokesman for the Policia Judiciaria in Portugal confirmed: “The detainee, aged 26, will be brought before the Guimaraes Court of Appeal over a request for his extradition to Spain.”
The arrest comes following ‘tenacious’ investigative work done by his family.
John George’s body was found on January 7 close to a road in Rojales, near Torrevieja.
The 37-year-old had been stripped naked and stabbed in the legs to disable him before being shot.
John’s relatives reported him missing in mid-December after he went on holiday to Cabo Roig on the Orihuela Costa.
After little was done by police the family launched their own investigation, which pointed the finger at two people from Northern Ireland.
According to lawyers representing the family, two arrests were made this week, but some reports suggest only Smith was detained.
“Over a week ago the family obtained significant information pointing to the possible location of two suspects in Braga,” said their solicitor Kevin Winters.
“That information was passed immediately to the authorities.”
However, after a frustrating wait the family took matters into their own hands and travelled to Portugal to force a response.
After locating and contacting Portuguese police, contact with Spain was made and Smyth was picked up.
“This is the biggest news to date for the George family. I commend their absolute tenacity in pursuing every line of enquiry and making sure the various European authorities acted on what they’ve painstakingly put together.”
