Breakthrough Arrest Made in John George Murder Case

Police in Portugal have confirmed the arrest of a British man wanted in Spain over the Costa Blanca murder of John George last year.

Arrest and Extradition Process
They said the man, understood to be 26-year-old Jonny Smyth, originally from Belfast, was held in the northern Portuguese city of Braga. He is expected to appear at court tomorrow for an extradition hearing ahead of his expected return to Spain in the coming weeks. Smyth is currently believed to be incustody at a police station in Braga. Local sources say he was detained at an Airbnb.

Official Statement
A spokesman for the Polícia Judiciária in Portugal, which held the murder suspect yesterday on an international arrest warrant, said: “The Judiciary Police, through the Braga Criminal Investigation Department, located and arrested a foreign national in the city of Braga, against whom the Spanish authorities had issued European and international arrest warrants, because he was suspected of committing a murder offence in Alicante. “The 37-year-old victim was reported missing in Alicante on 14 December 2024, but his body was found in the middle of January in an agricultural area in Rojales. Since the beginning of the Spanish authorities’ investigation, there have been strong indications of the existence of a murder offence with the concealment of a corpse, and of the suspect’s involvement in these events, who, immediately afterwards, fled to third countries, supposedly located in the Middle East and Asia. “The suspect’s location in Portugal was expedited with the prompt intervention of the Public Prosecutor’s Office - the Specialised Violent Crime Section of the DIAP in Guimaraes. In Spain, in addition to this man, another citizen has already been arrested for co-authoring the acts. “The events had great public repercussions in Spain and also in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and were widely publicised in the media in both countries. The detainee, aged 26, will be brought before the Guimaraes Court of Appeal with a view to assessing his detention and the request for his extradition to the Kingdom of Spain.” Well-placed sources confirmed only one person had been arrested in Portugal, contradicting earlier reports two had been held. Mr George, from West Belfast, went missing in Spain in December. His body was found by Spanish police on 7 January in a remote lemon grove, having been stabbed and shot in the chest and face. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.