The missing tourist Greg Monks likely fell to his death after climbing a wall while drunk without realising there was a steep drop on the other side, an insider has revealed.
Police yesterday confirmed that a body found on the steep hillside below luxury villas in Cerro da Aguia near the party resort of Albufeira, Portugal, was that of the Glaswegian who was last seen on a night out with his stag-do pals a week ago.
Cops with sniffer dogs were dispatched to the rocky scrub-land after a homeowner responded to an appeal by police and Mr Monk’s family to search cameras for images of him.
The CCTV footage showed the 38-year-old jumping over a wall, allowing police to narrow down his last movements and make the grim find.
The police insider said today: ‘The investigation into exactly how he died is ongoing.
‘But all the evidence so far is pointing to the tourist losing all notion of where he was in a place he hadn’t been to before, and under the effects of alcohol jumping over a first wall into a private property and then a second wall in the back garden not realising there was a steep drop the other side.’
Another police insider added: ‘The GNR police force had requested help from the Polícia Judiciaria force which confirmed yesterday the missing man’s body had been found.
‘They then got given CCTV from one of the villas in the Cerro da Aguia areas which enabled them to trace him jumping over a wall of a neighbouring property.
This is the last known photo of Mr Monks, a plant mechanic from Glasgow, who is believed to have fallen on his death after climbing a wall while drunk without realising there was a steep drop on the other side
His body was found on the steep hillside below luxury villas in Cerro da Aguia near the party resort of Albufeira
CCTV footage showing the 38-year-old jumping over a wall after a night out with his stag-do friends had enabled police to narrow down his last movements to this area
Tributes have started to pour in for the plant mechanic, described as an ‘amazing guy’
‘With that information the searches were immediately moved to the scrub-land below the houses.
‘Sniffer dogs that were being used by the GNR were brought in again.
‘When the dogs were put to work in the area, around 11am, they went straight to a bush where the missing man’s body was laying.’
Portuguese police confirmed Mr Monk’s body had been found in an official statement they put out yesterday afternoon after news of the find started leaking out in local press.
An autopsy today is expected to firm up the belief he died in a tragic accident after becoming disorientated as he tried to get back to his hotel after a heavy night of drinking with his holiday friends just hours after travelling to Albufeira for a five-day stag do.
Tributes have started to pour in for the plant mechanic, described as an ‘amazing guy’ by his heartbroken sister Jillian following yesterday morning’s discovery, who fronted the appeals for information on his whereabouts.
She said: ‘Didn’t think it would end like this. We are absolutely devastated.
‘Greg was an amazing boy who everyone thought so highly of, was friends with everyone and always made us laugh! We will miss him everyday.
Sniffer dogs found a missing man’s body yesterday morning in the Cerro da Aguia area after CCTV from one of the villas showed Mr Monks climbing one of the walls
A police insider said that Mr Monks might not have realised there was a steep drop on the other side of the wall he had been climbing after he was disorientated from being drunk
police were able to focus their search to the scrub-land after local CCTV showed him in this area
Tributes were were paid today towards the Glaswegian, who was described as an ‘amazing guy’ by his devastated sister Jillian following yesterday morning’s discovery
Mr Monk’s girlfriend Nicole Kelso (pictured) as well as the Scot’s mum and dad travelled to Albufeira after he went missing
The Glaswegian had left his friends after a night out in the party resort of Albufeira where he was on a stag-do (pictured)
‘I just want to thank absolutely everyone for everything they done from sharing their posts to out looking, phoning everywhere to get CCTV.
‘The support we have received from everyone has been out of this world.
‘If love coulda saved you, you would live forever! Miss you forever brother.’
She added: ‘Everyone who knows Greg knows how much he will be missed and what an amazing guy he was.’
Mr Monk’s sister had urged residents in Cerro da Aguia west of Albufeira to check home cameras and doorbell footage between 2am and 5am on May 28 after it emerged the last sighting of him had been in the hill area dotted with large villas.
His girlfriend Nicole Kelso, as well as the Scot’s mum and dad, travelled to Albufeira after he went missing.
Portuguese police have not yet released any official statement about why they think he died, although officers have admitted privately they don’t expect the post-mortem to reveal any possible link to a crime.
