THE WEATHER
Edition 321
A
www.thecourier.es
Friday 12th May 2017
“BIG STEP” TO JUSTICE
British man, whose body washed up on an Orihuela Costa beach after he was strangled, bound and wrapped in a bin bag, was unlawfully killed, a Liverpool inquest ruled this week. Two alleged prime suspects are behind bars in UK prisons for drugs offences, whilst a Merseyside police officer admitted to the coroner that three years on, the Guardia Civil investigation had stalled. Francis Brennan, 25, from the Anfield area of Liverpool, was discovered in the bag on La Zenia beach in March 2014 after he had been kidnapped on the northern Costa Blanca by three men pretending to be Guardia officers. Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello ruled his death was an "unlawful killing" which Brennan’s mother described as a "big step" towards justice, according to a report in the Liverpool Echo. "I’m satisfied that his death was through strangulation and given the circumstances in which his body was washed on the beach, I’m satisfied that he was unlawfully killed,” said Rebello. Monday’s verdict came more than three years after the gas fitter was last seen being stopped by at least three men in Javea as he travelled between his home and the gym. At the time of his murder, the 25 year-old was on the run from the police, as he was awaiting a
court date following a stabbing at a concert in Milton Keynes. Brennan had fled to the Costa Blanca with his girlfriend, Sophie, before Christmas 2013 after ignoring the advice of his parents to stay in Britain, and was approached on January 24th 2014 in Javea by three men wearing caps like those worn by Guardia Civil officers, and forced into a car, before being taken to an unknown location. No-one has been charged over his death. In a statement issued on behalf of Ms Brennan after the inquest, she said: “Francis came from a loving, close family. “His death has left a huge gap - the damage and devastation can never be repaired. “No justice will ever replace our son. No-one deserves to have their life taken from them in such a cruel way. We feel, today, the inquest is a big step for us.” The “hit” was allegedly ordered by Liverpudlian, Paul Scott, who was jailed for 14 years after admitting to conspiracy over the importation of cocaine to the UK, with the Guardia Civil naming him as the prime suspect for plotting the Brennan killing, which was said to be over a debt. One of the three men allegedly “hired” for the job was said to be an associate of Scott, Paul Monk, who was arrested by the Guardia at his
Javea villa two years ago in a joint operation with the British police. Monk was subsequently put behind bars for 18 years after an Old Bailey trial earlier this year, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Monday’s inquest heard that whilst the Guardia Civil is investigating Brennan’s
death, progress has stalled. Merseyside Police Detective Inspector Steve Christian told the court: “Proceedings are still ongoing [in Spain] but are not progressing at the moment. They continue to go forward but there are no current leads or lines of enquiry that are standing out, but obviously the investigation still continues.”
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