The Czech suspect arrested for the murder of a missing Briton in Benidorm was taken to court in handcuffs today.
The 32-year-old frowned as he was led into the court building in the Costa Blanca town of Torrevieja, flanked by two armed police officers.
This morning he appeared before an investigating judge in a closed hearing and has since been released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation.
His court hearing occurred three days after his arrest, the same day that the body of John George, a father of two, was found hidden under lemon trees in an orchard next to a main road linking the cities of Rojales and Torrevieja.
After releasing him, authorities indicated that investigators suspected at least one other person was involved in the crime, although no new arrests have yet been made.
A spokesperson for the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community, which covers the town of Torrevieja where the suspect appeared before a judge, stated this afternoon: “The head of the Court of Instruction number Two of Torrevieja, as the duty court, has decided to release With precautionary measures the man is detained in connection with the murder of a Northern Irish citizen whose body was discovered on Tuesday in Rojales.
‘The decision was made in accordance with the criteria of the prosecutors.
‘The judge currently attributes the crime of homicide to him as an accomplice or complicity in the crime.
The 32-year-old Czech suspect frowned as he was led into the court building in the Costa Blanca town of Torrevieja, flanked by two armed police officers.
George was first reported missing after he failed to board his flight home on December 18.
The 37-year-old was at a friend’s house in Alicante, on Spain’s Costa del Sol, before leaving to join other friends in nearby Benidorm (pictured).
‘His bail conditions include the obligation to appear in court every fortnight and hand over his passport and he is also prohibited from leaving Spain.
‘The court will continue investigations with the intention of fully resolving this case.’
Police used almost all of the 72 hours they could keep him in custody under Spanish law.
It was not immediately clear whether he had responded to questions asked by detectives or whether he had retained his right to remain silent.
Police have not named the bearded suspect, who is from the Czech Republic, and are not expected to do so officially even if he ends up being sent to a local jail while he continues to be investigated on suspicion of the Belfast man’s murder.
Any formal charges would only be brought at a later stage of the judicial investigation, which will likely take at least several months to complete.
Court officials are expected to confirm today what the outcome of the court appearance was, although they are unlikely to offer details about what was said during the hearing.
Yesterday the first images emerged of the remote location where John’s body was dumped after he disappeared during a holiday on the Costa Blanca.
Police had returned to the scene and one of the officers was using a metal detector to search the surrounding land and a country road next to the orchard.
George (left), also known as John Hardy, had been on holiday in Alicante and was last in contact with his family on December 14.
A trail of dried blood was still visible on the rural road near overgrown lemon trees under which his decomposing remains were discovered on Tuesday morning, suggesting he had been abandoned in a hurry.
Police arrows had also been marked on the ground, appearing to trace the pattern and direction of the blood stains.
The person or persons who abandoned the victim had made no attempt to bury his body in a shallow grave and had instead simply hidden it under low tree branches and foliage to prevent passing motorists from finding it. they saw
John’s father, Billy, named several people he described as suspicious on his social media before his son’s body was found, including a man from the Czech Republic.
The autopsy results have not yet been made public and police have not said how long they believe John’s body had been at the location where it was found, although it is known that his last contact with his family was on December 14.
His family reported him missing after he failed to catch a scheduled flight home four days into what was supposed to be a short vacation.
On December 23, his family had launched a GoFundMe campaign to help in the search, expressing concern that he had been the victim of a crime.
John’s brother Darren traveled to Alicante to help in the search with his parents, Billy and Sharon, and sister Courtney and Caitlin, along with up to 50 friends and family from Northern Ireland.
Siblings Darren, Courtney, Caitlyn and Mr George (right)
On January 1, members of K9 Search And Rescue NI, a volunteer canine search team, joined the large-scale operation to find the missing man.
Seven K9 search technicians and their Labrador retriever Rocko participated in the operation.
They returned home Sunday after covering hundreds of miles of dirt.
John’s family, who will return to Northern Ireland today, left a floral tribute yesterday in the Costa Blanca town near where his body was found.
In a video posted on social media, Billy said: “I’ve found my son.” I’ll bring it home.
The Civil Guard has only made one official statement since Tuesday’s grim discovery, stating: “Following the discovery of the body, a 32-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murder.
“More information will be provided as soon as more details are available.”