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Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Hitman' accused of murdering gang kingpins Ross Monaghan & Eddie Lyons Junior in Spain will fight extradition
Michael Riley, 44, of Merseyside, appeared today at Westminster Magistrates Court as part of a bid to have him shipped to Spain Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ALLEGED hitman nicked over the murders of two Scots gangsters is to fight extradition - as he claimed he was being intimidated by onlookers in court. Michael Riley, 44, of Huyton, Liverpool, appeared today at Westminster Magistrates Court as part of a bid to have him shipped to Spain. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Eddie Lyons Jnr, left, and Ross Monaghan were shot dead in Spain on May 31 Cops there issued an international arrest warrant in connection with their probe into the May 31 murders of Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46. Riley was apprehended by Merseyside police on June 13 under an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities last week. Riley was remanded in custody by magistrates on Saturday after he was deemed a flight risk. He appeared at the London court via videolink from HMP Wandsworth yesterday but due to technical difficulties the hearing could not go ahead effectively. He appeared in person wearing a grey, prison-issued tracksuit and spoke to confirm his name and date of birth. Riley was asked today by the court clerk if he wished to give consent to be extradited back to Spain, to which he said: 'No, I do not.' Riley's extradition hearing will be on October 9 at Westminster Magistrates court and is expected to last all day. Judge John Bristow said: 'As you know, Mr Riley, your extradition is sought by Spain, you have not consented to your extradition, so there is going to be a hearing on October 9. 'If you don't come to that hearing, it can proceed without you. That would mean you would not get the chance to tell your side of the story. 'You are not applying for bail today, so I am going to remand you in custody. 'Your next appearance will be on July 18, where on that occasion you will be on live television link.' Riley accused a member of the public in the public gallery of staring at him and making funny faces. He shouted: 'Stop looking at me' as he was led back to the cells. We told how the Lyons gang kingpins were drinking in Monaghans bar after watching the Champions League Cup final when they were gunned down. A hooded assassin was captured on CCTV storming the boozer and shooting both men dead in front of horrified holiday makers and staff. We told how cops in Spain and Scotland gave conflicting information over who is believed to have ordered the double assassination. Police Scotland first insisted three days after the slaughter they had 'no intelligence' to suggest the murders were connected to an ongoing turf war here. However, at a sensational press conference in Malaga their Spain counterparts said the man they want extradited over the killings was 'an internal member of the rival Daniel gang'. Malaga-based police chief Pedro Agudo Novo told reporters: "The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims' rival gangs. "In this case we're not talking about an independently hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniel gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang." That prompted the Scottish force to repeat their insistence there is no Daniel link to the slayings - a position also held by members of Monaghan's family. A relative of the murdered mob boss said earlier this month: 'The one thing people need to know is the Daniels are not behind this.' Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: "We are not aware of any current evidence which suggests the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge.' We told how a captured mobile phone holds the key to proving the assassinations in Spain of two Scots crime kingpins are linked to their Daniel gang rivals, sources claim. Cops are understood to have seized the mobile from an alleged hitman suspected of shooting dead the duo. Insiders say it contains data allegedly linking Riley, 44, to Daniel hoods who Spanish detectives reckon are behind the double slaying. Career criminal Monaghan – who fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life in 2017 – was tried but acquitted over the murder of notorious Glasgow hood Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll at an Asda car park in 2010. In August 2017 he and Eddie Lyons Jr, both members of the Lyons Glasgow crime family, were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside the Campsie bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. Their deaths come amid an ongoing turf war in Scotland that's resulted in 48 arrests as part of Police Scotland's Operation Portaledge. The gangland carnage in Edinburgh and Glasgow began in March amid claims Dubai-based hood Ross 'Miami' McGill, 31, of East Kilbride sought revenge after blaming associates of caged capital kingpin Mark Richardson, 38, for using fake notes in a dodgy £500,000 cocaine deal.
Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Bodybuilder dubbed ‘She Hulk' beaten to death with hammer at her Costa del Sol home as muscleman husband also found dead
The couple's bodies were found just before 2pm yesterday HORROR KILLING Bodybuilder dubbed 'She Hulk' beaten to death with hammer at her Costa del Sol home as muscleman husband also found dead Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PROFESSIONAL female bodybuilder dubbed "She Hulk" was found beaten to death with a hammer at her rented Costa del Sol home. Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez was found dead yesterday afternoon after detectives went to the property. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez was found dead yesterday afternoon Credit: Solarpix 5 Zunilda, who called herself Amy, had been missing since Saturday Credit: Solarpix 5 She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021 Credit: Solarpix Her partner's body was found in a bathroom with what police have described as "apparent self-inflicted stab wounds." He has been named as 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling. Zunilda, who called herself Amy, had been missing since Saturday after flying to the Costa del Sol from Dubai. Her relatives described Jarrod overnight as "aggressive" and said they believe he could have lashed out after she told him she wanted a divorce. Zunilda's niece Yuleydis told Malaga-based newspaper Sur her aunt was going to help Jarrod following a knee operation before travelling to Portugal to compete and then going back to Colombia alone after taking the divorce decision. She said: "For my aunt it was the last trip, a goodbye. "She had taken the decision to split from her husband because of his aggressive behaviour. "They had broken up already once and were apart for quite a while but then got back together again to try to resolve things, although the mistreatment continued." The couple's bodies were found just before 2pm yesterday inside a property on a residential estate. Zunilda's gym companion raised the alarm saying he hadn't seen her since June 14. A National Police spokesman in Malaga said: "The National Police is investigating the death of a man and woman found lifeless at a property in Fuengirola. "In the absence of official identification of the bodies, initial inquiries are pointing to them being those of a 43-year-old woman of Colombian origin and her 46-year-old partner of American origin. "Officers went to the property on a residential estate about 1.45pm after a friend of the woman whose body was found reported her disappearance on Wednesday at the National Police Station in Torremolinos. "Her body showed obvious signs of violence and that of the man's signs indicating a suicide-type death which is something an autopsy will have to confirm." The suspected killer is believed to have Colombian and US nationality. If the woman's death is confirmed as a gender violence murder, it would be the third so far in the province of Malaga and the fifth in Southern Spain's Andalucia region. Spanish news website El Espanol has reported that Zunilda also had more than 100,000 followers on OnlyFans and Fansly. She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021. Her coach Branden Rey said in an emotional Instagram post: "We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world my friend. "I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year and I meant it. "Rest in paradise Amy." Bodybuilder friend and coach Behnaz Azar said in an online tribute: "I don't know where to begin. "My heart is broken, my mind is clouded, and my soul is drowning in shock and sorrow. "Amy - my kind, strong, fierce friend. "The most powerful woman I knew in the world of bodybuilding, yet with the gentlest heart." 5 Zunilda's niece Yuleydis told Malaga-based newspaper Sur her aunt was going to help Jarrod following a knee operation Credit: Solarpix
The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Bodybuilder dubbed ‘She Hulk' beaten to death with hammer at her Costa del Sol home as muscleman husband also found dead
A PROFESSIONAL female bodybuilder dubbed "She Hulk" was found beaten to death with a hammer at her rented Costa del Sol home. Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez was found dead yesterday afternoon after detectives went to the property. 5 Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez was found dead yesterday afternoon Credit: Solarpix 5 Zunilda, who called herself Amy, had been missing since Saturday Credit: Solarpix 5 She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021 Credit: Solarpix Her partner's body was found in a bathroom with what police have described as "apparent self-inflicted stab wounds." He has been named as 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling. Zunilda, who called herself Amy, had been missing since Saturday after flying to the Costa del Sol from Dubai. Her relatives described Jarrod overnight as "aggressive" and said they believe he could have lashed out after she told him she wanted a divorce. read more on the sun Zunilda's niece Yuleydis told Malaga-based newspaper Sur her aunt was going to help Jarrod following a knee operation before travelling to Portugal to compete and then going back to Colombia alone after taking the divorce decision. She said: "For my aunt it was the last trip, a goodbye. "She had taken the decision to split from her husband because of his aggressive behaviour. "They had broken up already once and were apart for quite a while but then got back together again to try to resolve things, although the mistreatment continued." Most read in Sport The couple's bodies were found just before 2pm yesterday inside a property on a residential estate. Zunilda's gym companion raised the alarm saying he hadn't seen her since June 14. A National Police spokesman in Malaga said: "The National Police is investigating the death of a man and woman found lifeless at a property in Fuengirola. "In the absence of official identification of the bodies, initial inquiries are pointing to them being those of a 43-year-old woman of Colombian origin and her 46-year-old partner of American origin. "Officers went to the property on a residential estate about 1.45pm after a friend of the woman whose body was found reported her disappearance on Wednesday at the National Police Station in Torremolinos. "Her body showed obvious signs of violence and that of the man's signs indicating a suicide-type death which is something an autopsy will have to confirm." The suspected killer is believed to have Colombian and US nationality. If the woman's death is confirmed as a gender violence murder, it would be the third so far in the province of Malaga and the fifth in Southern Spain's Andalucia region. Spanish news website El Espanol has reported that Zunilda also had more than 100,000 followers on OnlyFans and Fansly. She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021. Her coach Branden Rey said in an emotional Instagram post: "We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world my friend. "I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year and I meant it. "Rest in paradise Amy." Bodybuilder friend and coach Behnaz Azar said in an online tribute: "I don't know where to begin. "My heart is broken, my mind is clouded, and my soul is drowning in shock and sorrow. "Amy - my kind, strong, fierce friend. "The most powerful woman I knew in the world of bodybuilding, yet with the gentlest heart." 5 Zunilda's niece Yuleydis told Malaga-based newspaper Sur her aunt was going to help Jarrod following a knee operation Credit: Solarpix 5 If the woman's death is confirmed as a gender violence murder, it would be the third so far in the province of Malaga Credit: Solarpix
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Costa Del Sol ‘hitman' accused of shooting Scots gangsters in Spain appears in court
Michael Riley, 44, of Merseyside, appeared via a video link from Wandsworth prison 'GUNMAN' IN COURT Costa Del Sol 'hitman' accused of shooting Scots gangsters in Spain appears in court Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ALLEGED hitman facing extradition to Spain in connection with the murders of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr has appeared in court. Michael Riley, 44, of Merseyside, appeared via a video link from Wandsworth prison at Westminster Magistrates Court this morning - six days after he was arrested in Liverpool. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Eddie Lyons Jnr, left, and Ross Monaghan died in Fuengirlosa on Mat 31 2 CCTV footage captured the incident at Monaghan's Irish Bar Spanish authorities have applied for the suspect to be shipped out of the UK as part of their ongoing probe into the double murder in Fuengirola. During a brief hearing that lasted around two minutes, Judge Bristow adjourned the matter for Riley to appear in person tomorrow due to the serious nature of the charges he faces. We told how the Lyons gang kingpins were drinking in Monaghan's Bar after watching the Champions League Cup final on May 31 when they were gunned down. A hooded assassin was captured on CCTV storming the boozer and shooting both men dead in front of horrified holiday makers and staff. Spanish cops launched a probe into the massacre that resulted in a suspect being identified and arrested on Friday, June 13. Riley initially appeared in court the following day and was remanded in custody after having been deemed a 'flight risk' by prosecutors. He returned to the dock today for a hearing that could see him extradited to Spain to face two murder charges. We told how cops in Spain and Scotland gave conflicting information over who is believed to have ordered the double assassination. Police Scotland first insisted three days after the slaughter they had 'no intelligence' to suggest the murders were connected to an ongoing turf war here. However, at a sensational press conference in Malaga this week their Spain counterparts said the man they want extradited over the killings was 'an internal member of the rival Daniel gang'. The DOWNFALL of Scotland's biggest gangster - Jamie 'The Iceman' Stevenson Part Two Malaga-based police chief Pedro Agudo Novo told reporters: "The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims' rival gangs. "In this case we're not talking about an independently hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniel gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang." That prompted the Scottish force to repeat their insistence there is no Daniel link to the slayings - a position also held by members of Monaghan's family. A relative of the murdered mob boss said earlier this month: 'The one thing people need to know is the Daniels are not behind this.' Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: "We are not aware of any current evidence which suggests the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge.' Career criminal Monaghan – who fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life in 2017 – was tried but acquitted over the murder of notorious Glasgow hood Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll at an Asda car park in 2010. In August 2017 he and Eddie Lyons Jr, both members of the Lyons Glasgow crime family, were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside the Campsie bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. Their deaths come amid an ongoing turf war in Scotland that's resulted in 48 arrests as part of Police Scotland's Operation Portaledge. The gangland carnage in Edinburgh and Glasgow began in March amid claims Dubai-based hood Ross 'Miami' McGill, 31, of East Kilbride sought revenge after blaming associates of caged capital kingpin Mark Richardson, 38, for using fake notes in a dodgy £500,000 cocaine deal.
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Man accused of double murder of Scottish gangsters in Irish bar deemed 'flight risk'
Michael Riley (44) of Merseyside is accused of the Costa del Sol hit on Lyons gang members Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr A man accused of gunning down two Scottish gangsters at an Irish bar in Spain would have bolted if granted bail, a court has heard. Michael Riley (44) of Merseyside is accused of the Costa del Sol hit on Lyons gang members Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr. Riley, who is the subject of an extradition warrant by Spanish authorities over the murders of both men, was remanded in custody during a brief hearing following his arrest on Friday. Riley was deemed a flight risk when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, where court heard he was 'likely to abscond' if given liberty. According to the Scottish Sun, lawyers acting for Riley didn't make a bail application ahead of a second court date on Thursday when the alleged hitman is due to appear via video link. Riley had been detained in Liverpool two weeks after the Lyons gangsters were gunned down in Monaghan's Irish pub in Fuengirola, the Sun reported previously. Police Scotland had insisted in the days after the May 31 double murder they had no information to suggest the horror crimes were in any way linked to the gang feuding which has been going on there. But Malaga-based Spanish police chief Pedro Agudo Novo today described the suspected killer arrested in Liverpool last Friday as a member of the Daniels gang which has long been at loggerheads with the Lyons gang the dead men belonged to. The chief superintendent also revealed the dramatic arrest was made as detectives discovered the alleged gunman was about to flee his UK bolt hole for a "paradise island tax haven." The scene of the shooting News in 90 Seconds - June 17 Speaking at the first press conference Spanish police have held since the killings, Mr Agudo Novo who heads up a provincial Judicial Police unit, said: 'The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims' rival gangs. 'In this case we're not talking about an independent hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniels gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang. 'I want to highlight the high level of professionalism of this individual. Not only did he walk up to the table where the victims were sitting and kill the first man before continuing with his mission when his gun jammed. 'It's not normal for a criminal to react the way he did in the face of this unexpected problem and resolve the situation to continue and pursue his second victim inside the bar and kill him. 'His escape was also a very professional one. It was clear he had previously studied all the cameras in the area and undertaken some other investigative procedures I can't go into at this stage. 'He had his escape route perfectly planned out, picking areas where there were a lack of cameras and at one point even entering a train tunnel and crossing the tracks because he knew he couldn't be filmed there.' The police chief said "Absolutely" when asked if he thought the suspect, now facing extradition to Spain and a double murder charge, had travelled from the UK to Spain to carry out his alleged crimes. He added: 'His escape route involved travelling from Spain to Portugal and he then took a plane from Portugal to Leeds. 'Once he got to Leeds, with the support of his gang, he changed addresses three times. 'It took us four days to get an idea of who he was and another three, so seven days in total, to get a name for the man we wanted arrested. 'That's when we contacted the British police and asked a court in Fuengirola to issue an international arrest warrant. 'The last address the suspect was tracked down to was in Liverpool. 'We discovered that the day he was arrested he was planning to flee the UK for a paradise island, a tax haven with which there would have been no extradition treaty.' Mr Agudo Novo was asked to name the destination but said he couldn't for 'operational reasons' as the investigation remained open and police were hopeful of making more arrests, although he said he believed the suspected gunman had 'acted alone.'
