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Date Published: 24/03/2026

British man jailed over shooting of key figure in Torrevieja in John George investigation

The suspect has been remanded in custody in Murcia after the fatal shooting of a Czech national in Torrevieja

A British man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a key figure in the ongoing John George murder investigation, in a case that’s continuing to grip the Costa Blanca.

The suspect was detained last week by the Guardia Civil in a town in the Region of Murcia. He’s now been placed in provisional custody following a court appearance, as officers continue to search for others believed to be involved.

The arrest relates to the killing of 33-year-old Czech national Michael Maly, who was shot dead in Torrevieja in the early hours of March 1. As reported at the time, Maly had previously been linked to the murder of Northern Irishman John George, whose body was discovered on a lemon farm in Rojales in January 2025.

Investigators from the Guardia Civil’s homicide unit in Alicante have identified the British suspect as someone allegedly connected to Maly’s death. According to sources close to the case, the investigation is still very much open, with officers working to track down additional suspects.

Early lines of enquiry had reportedly ruled out any direct link between Maly’s killing and the murder of John George. Police had initially dismissed the idea that Maly was targeted to stop him from giving evidence in the case against the main suspect, Jonathan Alan Smyth.

However, Maly’s earlier testimony had directly pointed the finger at Smyth in connection with John George’s death. He had also told a court that he’d received death threats, allegedly linked to the same suspect.

Smyth, who is from Northern Ireland, remains the principal suspect in the John George case. He was previously arrested in Portugal following an international manhunt and later extradited to Spain. After spending time in custody, he was released on €100,000 bail in December 2025 and remains under investigation.

Orihuela Costa has seen a string of violent incidents in recent months, with at least two other shootings involving British nationals believed to be linked to drug-related disputes. In one case, a young Englishman lost his life and in another, a British man survived and later fled the country before being detained.

Both the murder of Michael Maly and the killing of John George are being handled by the same court in Torrevieja. Maly had been out on bail in connection with the earlier case and had recently appeared in court again in February, when judges were reviewing whether he should be returned to custody following new evidence.

For now, the latest arrest marks a significant development, but with more suspects still being sought, this is clearly far from over.

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