Widows of Scots gang members killed in Fuengirola launch private prosecution against alleged hitman

The widows of two Scottish gang members shot dead at a Fuengirola pub have launched legal action against the suspected hitman accused of their murders.

Jade Monaghan and Joanne Lyons have instructed lawyers to prosecute Michael Riley under the Spanish legal system's acusación particular mechanism. Riley, from Liverpool, is currently held in Teixeiro prison in Galicia following his extradition from the UK over the double shooting at Monaghans Irish pub on 31 May 2025.

Under Spanish law, crime victims or their relatives can exercise a constitutional right to join criminal proceedings as a private prosecution. This runs parallel to state proceedings, allowing private lawyers to submit separate indictments, request alternative prison sentences or compensation levels, and question defendants in court.

An investigating judge in Fuengirola is leading the ongoing probe before deciding whether to formally indict Riley. Court sources confirmed the case will be tried by a nine-member jury, as required for murder charges under Spanish law, though any trial is not expected until 2027 at the earliest.

Riley was transferred from Alhaurín de la Torre prison near Malaga to Galicia ahead of the extradition to Spain of gang leader Steven Lyons, brother of victim Eddie Lyons Jr. Steven Lyons was arrested in Amsterdam in April 2025 under Operation Arborum, a joint operation targeting the Lyons gang and its links to the Kinahan cartel.

Spanish police previously alleged that Riley was linked to a rival Scottish crime group and was preparing to flee to a tax haven when arrested in Liverpool in June 2025. Investigations into wider money laundering and organised crime allegations against seven other individuals arrested in Spain remain ongoing.

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