John George’s death was so gruesome it could have been a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie: first he was stabbed in the legs so he couldn’t run away then repeatedly beaten before finally being shot in the face and chest.
His broken, lifeless body was then dumped in an isolated Spanish lemon grove where, even though it was December, the sun was still warm enough that when the father-of-two’s body was finally discovered in early January, it was so decomposed that his devastated family were unable to have an open casket at his funeral back home in Northern Ireland.
George’s murder came just a few days after he left his Belfast home and flew to the Costa Blanca, a magnet for many British and Irish tourists thanks to its home from home atmosphere of pubs, fish and chip shops and curry restaurants.
Watering holes such as The Randy Leprechaun, Paddy’s Point and Murphy’s Sports Tavern serving Guinness and other Irish beers, provide a reassuring link with the old country back home.
But apart from the tourists, the area is increasingly being targeted by organised crime gangs, many of them from Ireland, both north and south.
And some of their rivalries are having a terrifying impact on the Costa Blanca, particularly since the murder of John George which set off a wave of tit for tat vendettas attacks.
In the last three months alone there have been two attempted murders – one local police believe directly connected to the death of Mr George – and a massive 84 kilo cocaine bust involving the arrest of four…Irishmen.
A source on the Costa Blanca with knowledge of the local crime scene told MailOnline: ‘There has been an increase in serious incidents involving Irish and Northern Irish in the area not only as victims, but also as alleged perpetrators.
The body of John George (pictured), from Belfast, Northern Ireland, was found dumped in an isolated Spanish lemon grove in December
Mr George had spent time in Spain with a known drug dealer known as Jonny Smyth (pictured), 26, also from Northern Ireland, and a Czech man called Michal Maly – a former member of the French Foreign Legion
John George (left) pictured with Jonny Smyth (right)
Jonny Smyth advertises cannabis on his Instagram account
George’s murder came just a few days after he left his Belfast home and flew to the Costa Blanca, a magnet for many British and Irish tourists thanks to its home from home atmosphere of pubs, fish and chip shops and curry restaurants
‘These events have raised concerns within the local community and suggest a worrying trend of escalating violence and a disturbing pattern, linked to individuals from Ireland, both north and south.
‘While the authorities have not officially confirmed any broader connections, the nature, severity and frequency of these events – along with the individuals involved – have led many to speculate that we’re seeing the signs of organised criminal structures taking root here.
‘Locals have begun referring to it as an ‘open secret’ that elements of the Irish underworld are becoming increasingly active on the Costa Blanca.
‘The word on the street here is that the Irish mafia is trying to establish a foothold in this region, using the area’s anonymity, relaxed atmosphere, and the international mix of residents as cover. An ex-pat Irish gangster can blend in easily here.’
But let us return to Mr George.
The 37-year-old last contacted his family at their home in Twinbrook, west Belfast, on December 14, when his father, who readily admits his son was ‘no angel’ urged him to come home.
Four days after the last phone call, in which Mr George told his mother he ‘loved her’ and would ‘see ya soon’ he was reported missing.
His heartbroken father Billy George spent last Christmas with family and friends looking for his son around the Spanish neighbourhood before that horrible discovery in the lemon grove.
Mr George told MailOnline: ‘No one deserves to die like that. He was treated like a dog. It was horrible and all we want now is justice.’
He said of his son:’ He was no angel, but he was a good lad, he loved his kids and they will now grow up without their father. We told him to come back because we didn’t like the crowd he was keeping but he said he would be fine.
‘I think he was killed the same day we spoke with him – December 14.
‘We reported him missing four days later, and I went out to Spain and spent three and a half weeks later we found him but I think his body had been moved.
‘We were hearing all sorts of false information from people who were saying they wanted to help but they weren’t they were hindering, and these people also knew more than they were letting on.’
Mr George had spent time in Spain with a known drug dealer known as Jonny Smyth, 26, also from Northern Ireland and a Czech man called Michal Maly, a former member of the French Foreign Legion.
Blood stains mark the floor at the location where Dan McMeekin was attacked with a boxcutter and had his throat cut
Dan McMeekin (pictured) almost died in the attack – but was rushed to hospital where his life was saved by surgeons
A suspect is arrested by two members of the Guardia Civil for the attempted murder of Dan McMeekin
The scene where Dan McMeekin was slashed with a box cutter
Pictures on Smyth’s social media show him living the high life in Spain, with fast cars, fast motorbikes, luxury watches and highly desirable apartments, apparently funded through a cannabis shop he ran in Benidorm.
Smyth was eventually identified by Spanish police as a suspect for the murder and eventually arrested in Braga, Portugal, in March
Before he was tracked down Smyth got married to his partner, Only Fans model Madison Allen, 19, in Gibraltar.
Allen – who has a prolific social media profile illustrated with pictures of her mainly in bikinis – is not a suspect and is not being sought by Spanish authorities and continues to live in the country.
And she has told followers as much.
But what is concerning is just how they managed to marry in Gibraltar at the official residence of the governor known as The Convent, during an international manhunt when he was wanted for murder.
After he was finally arrested Smyth was extradited back to Spain where he is currently in custody awaiting trial for murder.
Michai Maly, 32, was picked up in the early stages of the investigation and is said to have provided false information to the family as to the whereabouts of Mr George’s body before eventually tipping police off as to where he had been dumped.
MailOnline visited the spot where he was found, an isolated country road in the countryside near the village of Rojales, amid lemon groves, around 45 minutes from where he was last seen.
Mr George’s body was found on January 7, dumped in that lemon grove which is in rural farmland a mile off the main road linking Rojales with Torrevieja.
Police had been tipped off to its location by Maly and Mr George’s father wants to know more about his dealings with the police.
The isolated location where the body was found is close to a farm, and the land, which is popular with fly tippers, is owned by a man called Jose.
The strip at Cabo de Roig features several Irish bars that are commonly frequented by British and Irish travellers
Watering holes such as The Randy Leprechaun (pictured), Paddy’s Point and Murphy’s Sports Tavern serving Guinness and other Irish beers, provide a reassuring link with the old country back home
Playa de Cabo Roig, a very popular beach with Irish people on the Costa Blanca
Jose, who declined to give his surname such is the fear of gangland violence in the area, told MailOnline: ‘The first I knew a body was there was when the police came to the house. They asked me if I had seen or heard anything, but I hadn’t.
‘When they showed me the location, I was shocked, I had seen blood on the road but assumed it was from an animal that had been run over.
‘I walked past that spot every day and didn’t smell or notice anything. I’m just so surprised – nothing like this has ever happened here.
‘About a month later I met the dead man’s brother. He came to see the spot and left some flowers, and I offered my condolences.’
MailOnline can also reveal that security cameras, covering a small reservoir of water, point towards the road where the body was dumped but because of Spanish privacy laws they are pixelated.
Police were also left empty handed and with no leads after retrieving the footage as it deletes itself after a fortnight.
A few minutes away a small shrine has been made by friends and family with flowers and pictures of Mr George attached to a wire fence.
The hot sun has faded the petals.
A small stone has been left on the floor with the inscription that reads ‘Special son. Always in my dreams. Forever in my heart.’
The spot his body was found is around six miles from the apartment Mr George was staying in with Smyth at Orihuela Costa, when he arrived last December.
The ground floor flat with swimming pool is owned by a British man and currently rented out to a family of Belgian holidaymakers who had no idea of what had happened there.
A Dutch man who lives opposite told MailOnline: ‘It’s terrible what happened there. I remember the night he disappeared.
‘There was a big party and there was lots of noise and fireworks, some of them were really loud and now we are thinking: ‘Was that gunshots?’
‘I remember the man who rented it covered with tattoos and his girlfriend as well, they were always having wild parties, every night loud noise and people coming and going.
‘You don’t have to be too clever to work out it was all to do with drugs. The police watched the house for a month after he disappeared, they were in a van.
‘Everyone knew they were there, but I don’t think anything came of it.’
Police initially believed another man was involved in the murder of George and on social media, wild rumours circulated involving the brutal stabbing of Dan McMeekin, 29, another Irishman two months ago.
A heavily tattooed Jonny Smyth shows off puppies for the camera
Posts from Jonny Smyth’s Instagram page advertising cannabis and poppers for sale
JoSmyth’s Instagram page selling cannabis
Jonny Smyth pictured with his wife Madison Allen
Smyth’s wife Madison Allen posed on the bed in red lingerie
He was slashed across the throat as he stopped to relieve himself after spending the night in a local Irish themed pub in Torrevieja and social media shows him to be a pal of Smyth and Maly and he also knew Mr George.
As he stood in the dark by a small substation, he was attacked from behind with a box cutter – the pools of blood still visible on the pavement – before his attacker fled into the night.
McMeekin is himself no stranger to crime, and is expected to testify in Mr George’s eventual murder trial.
He almost died in the attack – but was rushed to hospital where his life was saved by surgeons.
Initially he refused to name his attacker but told police he knew him and a few days after the attack a 58-year-old man also from Ireland was later arrested and although his identity has not been revealed he is also said to be ‘well known to police’.
Mr George, 56, said: ‘I’m sure Dan McMeekin knows something. I don’t think he was there when my son was murdered but he’s somehow connected, and someone was obviously trying to shut him up.
‘There are people like McMeekin who know more than they are letting on and there’s no doubt in my mind the attempt on his life was to silence him, he knew what was going to happen to John that night.
‘From what I know there was some sort of argument that night between John and Smyth.
‘My John was a boxer… he knew how to handle himself and he would have been able to take Smyth out.
‘I think Smyth had help.’
Mr George added:’ All we want now is justice, I want whoever killed John to go behind bars for a long time, I don’t want him out after just 12 or 13 years.
‘Those involved are all scum bags, the lowest of the low, they took a loving father away from two boys aged 14 and seven and they should pay for that.’
Lawyer Andrea Marin, who is representing the George family, told MailOnline: ‘The investigation is closed, and the police are not looking for anyone else.
‘I haven’t been given access to the full files yet as there is a lot of paperwork to go through,
I have to provide birth certificates for Mr George and his father, and this have to be translated and certified.
‘Once all that is complete, I will have a clearer picture and can inform the family about when the trial is likely to happen, but it won’t be until way after the summer.
‘July and August are ‘meses muertos’ as we say in Spain, dead months. Everyone is away on holiday and everything is closed.’
For Mr George Snr, the wounds are still raw.
He said: ‘It was one of John’s kids’ birthdays this week,
‘I’d like to let the people who killed him know that.
‘I had to take a card round to the house, because they wouldn’t be getting one from their daddy…That was tough.’
