Man accused of killing Northern Irishman John George in Costa Blanca released on bail

Jonathan Alan S. leaves Villena prison on €100,000 bail in the case following the disappearance and murder of John George in Rojales last year

Jonathan Alan S., known locally as Jonny Smyth, accused of killing fellow Northern Irishman John George Hardy in Rojales last year, has been released from Villena prison after posting €100,000 bail. The Torrevieja court approved his provisional release on Wednesday December 17, and he left the prison that afternoon. It’s not clear if he was met by family or legal representatives.

Questions may be asked about how someone who was arrested as a fugitive can now be released pending trial. A second person previously arrested in connection with the case, believed to be an accomplice, was released on bail earlier in the year.

He had been wanted after John George, 37, disappeared while on holiday on the Costa Blanca in December last year. George’s body was later found shot in a lemon grove near Rojales, sparking a multi-national investigation.

The Torrevieja judge ruled that, although there is enough evidence to keep the homicide charge against Alan active, pre-trial detention is no longer strictly necessary to make sure he appears in court. Less restrictive measures, including bail, were considered enough to prevent the risk of flight. Prosecutors and the victim’s family opposed the bail, but their objections did not stop the court’s decision.

His wife, 20-year-old British national Madison V., was also briefly in the news this week after being detained in Orihuela Costa with two loaded pistols in a car. She was also released provisionally.

Jonathan Alan S. has been in custody since last April, and the case continues to draw attention in the local community as the investigation proceeds.

Image 1: Facebook
Image 2: Family Handout