Irishman (58) arrested for attempted murder of John George acquaintance in Spain
A 58-year-old Irishman has been arrested in Spain for the attempted murder of another Irish national who had previously been named as having knowledge about the murder of John George.
Dan McMeekin (29) was viciously attacked with a box-cutter knife in the Costa Orihuela area of the Costa Blanca last month.
He had to undergo emergency surgery at Torrevieja University Hospital to save his life after he was stabbed in the neck with a box cutter while he was going to the toilet.
McMeekin previously posted a video online in which he said he should have contacted the family of John George before the 37-year-old was murdered,
A 58-year-old man, described as an Irish national, was arrested by the Civil Guard for attempted murder on June 30 and brought before a Spanish court this week.
Spanish police have claimed the arrested man has previous convictions for 'homicide' and drug dealing.
McMeekin was viciously attacked in the early hours of June 15 on a sealed-off street near a small shopping centre in La Zenia.
The stabbing suspect is led away by Spanish police
News in 90 Seconds - July 10th
It is believed McMeekin was knifed after being approached from behind while urinating next to an electrical transformer.
The attacker inflicted a deep cut on his neck with the box cutter blade.
Having interviewed the victim, officers were able to identify the suspect, although he had left his home days earlier and his whereabouts were unknown.
However, a police patrol from Orihuela Costa managed to locate the suspect in a local park on June 30. After confirming his identity with the support of the Pilar de la Horadada Judicial Police Team, he was arrested.
According to the news site, Vegabajadigital.com, as the suspect was not carrying any ID however, Spanish police sought the help of Irish authorities who provided a fingerprint check.
This confirmed that he has a criminal record in Ireland for serious crimes, including homicide with a firearm and drug trafficking.
Having been charged with attempted murder, he was brought before Orihuela Court of Instruction No 3 which ordered his provisional release with a restraining order against the victim.
McMeekin, from West Belfast, was attacked in the early hours of Sunday, in La Zenia, near Torrevieja.
Despite local news reports stating there were 'pools of blood' found at the scene of the early morning attack, McMeekin survived the shocking incident and has been recovering in hospital.
It has also been reported in the press in Spain that the authorities have revealed McMeekin told them he knew who had stabbed him but that he would not be telling them.
John George and Dan McMeekin
They also revealed McMeekin has a criminal record and it's well known he has a series of convictions for domestic abuse against a former partner.
McMeekin, who is known to be extremely vulnerable due to substance abuse issues, became a target of social media trolls and amateur investigators after the murder of John George.
McMeekin knew John George well and was in a bar in Spain where it's claimed a plan was hatched to attack the Belfast man who was later found murdered.
The father of two was shot and his body left in a rural area in the Alicante region around December 14 although it wasn't discovered for several weeks.
Supporters of John George and his family believe Dan McMeekin has information relevant to the investigation. However, he has never been arrested or charged with anything.
McMeekin posted a video to his Facebook page back in January where he was visibly upset and appeared to be high on drugs or drink.
He was responding to wild speculation on social media and named one TikToker who he felt was not telling the truth about him and what he knew or didn't know about John George.
Slurring his words, he says: 'I am doing my best to help in so many ways... I am guilty, guilty of not telling the family sooner. I am vulnerable, this is breaking me, I have a heart, I do.
'The truth will be told, what I know is fact. It's been a hard time, I have helped. There's a lot of yous who don't know about the good I have done so stop going by social media and stop jumping to conclusions.
'I know what the family is going through, please stop jumping to conclusions, I am helping.'
In January Belfast lawyers acting for the family of John George named Dan McMeekin as being one of two men who was due to appear in court in Spain – not as suspects but to tell the court what they knew about the lead-up to the murder.
Two weeks after John George's body was found, Belfast legal firm KRW Law said on January 31: 'We can confirm that summonses have issued for the attendance of two persons to answer enquiries in relation to the murder of Mr George. We have been in touch with the authorities in connection with this latest development.
'We understand that each person was originally due to appear at the designated Preliminary Court sitting in Torrevieja, Spain on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 9.30am but are now expected to appear on Friday, January 31 in the same court.
'We are advised the two specified persons are identified as Michael Maly and Daniel Anthony McMeekin.
'The family now face an anxious wait to learn what each individual has to say. They are calling upon them to take what they say as 'a final chance to come clean' on the lead-up to and the circumstances surrounding their son's murder before Christmas last year...'
Czech national Michael Maly was later arrested and appeared in court as a murder suspect but was released on bail and has yet to be charged with any offence.
Jonny Smyth and Madison Allen
Meanwhile 27-year-old Newtownabbey man Jonny Smyth was eventually arrested in Portugal having gone on the run before being extradited back to Spain where he has also been named as a suspect and held on remand in prison – but like Maly has not yet been charged with any offence.
Sources say Jonny Smyth had helped Dan McMeekin after finding him in Spain in a bad way on drugs.
But Smyth turned on Dan and gave him a beating after it's claimed he found Dan doing cocaine in the apartment Smyth shared with his partner – now wife – Madison.
McMeekin has been in jail back home in Northern Ireland several times and was convicted of a number of nasty domestic abuse offences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
NTMA in €5m scam outrage as agency duped by voice 'phishing' and fake invoice
Fraudsters used voice impersonation and a fake invoice to scam the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) out of €5million, can reveal. The agency, which the State has entrusted with the management of billions of euros for the taxpayer, realised in recent days that it had been the victim of a sophisticated voice phishing attack. Voice phishing is when scammers impersonate someone on the phone to gain information and the trust of the intended target. Pearse Doherty. Pic: Fran Veale Sources with knowledge of the attack told that it appears to have been executed with 'insider knowledge' after it managed to bypass several layers of security protocol. Sinn Féin's finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty, has called for the NTMA to be immediately hauled before the Oireachtas Finance Committee to explain how an agency that has control over billions of euros could be susceptible to such a breach. understands that the scam relates to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) arm of the agency and that it was only discovered in recent days. Pic: Getty Images The scammers are understood to have impersonated a legitimate entity that has dealings with the ISIF in order to trick the organisation into making a payment to a fraudulent account. However, there is confusion over how the attack was successful, given the protective procedures in place at the NTMA. The Department of Finance was only informed of the issue after queries from Mr Doherty told 'The question here is, with the amount of money the NTMA holds on deposit for the State, how such an organisation would be vulnerable to a phishing scam. It is seriously questionable. Pearse Doherty. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos 'They hold billions of Irish money. We will need to hear very quickly from the NTMA how this has happened. I'll be asking the chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee to bring them before the committee as quickly as possible.' Mr Doherty said that despite his party calling for the NTMA to divest from investing in Israeli companies in occupied Palestinian territories, they 'haven't had a blemish for a long, long time'. 'It has dealt with our debt through difficult times, and has really impeccable standing. I'm shocked that an organisation has left billions in taxpayers' money vulnerable. Pic: Shutterstock 'The processes here should be robust enough, given the level of money they handled, in the billions, to make sure these types of scams… they should not be vulnerable to any scam, no matter how sophisticated. I'm quite shocked,' he said. In a statement, a spokesman for the NTMA said that it notified An Garda Síochána once it detected the fraud and immediately worked to contain the issue. Following the detection by the NTMA of a fraudulent payment call to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund issued by an external party, in line with protocols, the NTMA took immediate steps to assess and contain the potential impact. Frank O'Connor. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins 'The fraudulent payment call was immediately reported to the relevant authorities, including An Garda Síochána, and investigations and recovery efforts are ongoing. Given the ongoing investigations and active recovery efforts, we can't comment further,' they said. The NTMA, headed by CEO Frank O'Connor, is responsible for managing public assets and liabilities prudently for long-term benefit on behalf of the State. It oversees the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, which invests in projects that support economic activity and employment in Ireland. The ISIF is mandated to invest on a commercial basis to support economic activity and employment in Ireland. According to its 2023 annual report, the NTMA had € 35 billion in investment capital. It is due to publish its annual report on Tuesday. The scam is the most significant to hit an Irish agency since the ransomware attack that hit the Health Service Executive in May 2021. The devastating ransomware attack was also deployed through phishing. A malicious email with a spreadsheet attachment was sent to HSE staff, which, when opened, installed malware that later enabled the attack, which infected 80% of all HSE systems and took four months to resolve, resulting in major disruption to the country's health system. The ransomware attack, carried out by cybercriminals linked to the Russian hacking group Conti, resulted in the theft of data from around 100,000 patients and cost the State almost € 150 million to rectify. Almost 500 lawsuits have been taken against the HSE arising from the data breach caused by the attack. A report into that attack criticised the HSE's 'flat' IT network design, outdated operating systems, lack of multi-factor authentication, and insufficient cyber threat detection. Governance gaps were also highlighted, noting that IT leadership was fragmented and under-resourced, making strategic coordination of cybersecurity difficult. Furthermore, contingency plans and incident response procedures were either missing or inadequate, leaving the organisation scrambling to react. The Government and HSE have insisted that no ransom was paid and that the decryption key was provided freely by the attackers, though this did little to alleviate the extensive disruption already inflicted. Since the attack, the HSE has undertaken substantial efforts to modernise its cybersecurity infrastructure, but the report warns that similar vulnerabilities may still exist across other public sector organisations. The HSE cyberattack led to an overhaul of IT governance and continuous monitoring, as well as a proactive national strategy to defend Ireland's public institutions against evolving cyber threats.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Tens of thousands take to streets for annual July 12 Orange Order parades
Tens of thousands are set to take to the streets across Northern Ireland for the Orange Order's annual July 12 parades. The festivities will be spread across 19 main locations to mark the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne where the Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over the Catholic King James II. It comes after the burning of bonfires at an estimated 300 locations in loyalist neighbourhoods across the region on Thursday and Friday nights. On Sunday morning, an Orange Order parade has been permitted to pass Ardoyne shops in north Belfast restricted to one band and 50 members of the order. The Orange Order morning parade makes its way along the Crumlin Road towards the Ardoyne shops in Belfast in 2024 (Brian Lawless/PA) It is a return parade at a former flashpoint which traditionally took place on the evening of July 12 often resulting in violent scenes. Meanwhile, the traditional July 13 events organised by the Royal Black Preceptory in the village of Scarva, Co Armagh will take place on Monday. The event includes a parade as well as a sham fight between actors playing rival monarchs William and James. While most of the bonfires passed off peacefully, there was condemnation after effigies of migrants in a boat were burned on a bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone. Effigies of migrants in a boat burn atop a bonfire at Moygashel, Co Tyrone, ahead of events to mark the Twelfth of July (Niall Carson/PA) Pictures of the Irish rap band Kneecap and Irish flags were also burned on other pyres. But the most contentious bonfire was located on a site containing asbestos and close to an electricity sub station off the Donegall Road in south Belfast. Of all the loyal order parades to take place on Saturday, around 30 have been officially categorised as sensitive by the Parades Commission. Locations of sensitive parades this year include Belfast, Coleraine, Keady, Dunloy, Rasharkin, Strabane, Newtownabbey, Maghera, Newtownbutler, Portadown, Glengormley and Bellaghy. More than 4,000 police officers and police staff will be working on July 12. On the 11th night, around 1,200 officers were deployed to monitor public safety at bonfires. The cost of policing parades and bonfires in Northern Ireland through spring and summer was £6.1 million last year, a figure that was up £1.5 million on the previous year. The bill, which covers the period April 1 to August 31, also includes the cost of policing republican commemorations around Easter and events to mark the mid-August anniversary of the introduction of internment without trial during the Troubles. The PSNI expects the costs in 2025 to be higher still. This is due to falling police numbers and the resultant increased reliance on paying overtime to ensure enough officers are on duty for the events. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has urged mutual respect in the marking of events. Northern Ireland's Chief Constable Jon Boutcher (Liam McBurney/PA) 'These celebrations and others that occur throughout the year are a valued part of Northern Ireland's local history and culture,' he said. 'They can and should be occasions where communities come together in a spirit of inclusiveness and pride, through local traditions. 'Mutual respect is the foundation of strong, safe communities. 'There is no place for hate or intimidation—only space for celebration that welcomes and celebrates not divides. 'Our officers will be on the ground throughout the weekend, working in partnership with community leaders, event organisers, and local representatives to support lawful, peaceful, and family-friendly events. However where necessary, we will take firm and proportionate action to keep people safe. 'Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of everyone. 'Let's ensure that this weekend reflects the very best of our communities: proud, respectful, and united.'
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Loyalist bonfire on site with asbestos lit despite warnings
Eleventh night bonfires have been lit across Northern Ireland, including one on a site in Belfast with asbestos despite warnings. Effigies of the Irish rap group Kneecap topped a different bonfire in south Belfast, while there was condemnation at the placing of Irish flags and sectarian slogans on other pyres in loyalist neighbourhoods. Elsewhere, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service also tackled a gorse blaze in the Belfast Hills off the Ballyutoag Road. Firefighters tackle a blaze in the Belfast Hills off the Ballyutoag Road late on Friday night (Rebecca Black/PA) The bonfire at Meridi Street, off the Donegall Road in south Belfast, had been the focus of warnings, political rows and legal challenges throughout the week. Earlier on Friday, Stormont Environment Minister Andrew Muir urged that the bonfire on a site that contains asbestos and is also close to an electricity sub-station, which powers two major hospitals in the city, not be lit. However it was lit as planned late on Friday while hundreds of other bonfires were also set alight in the July 11 tradition ahead of the Orange Order's July 12 parades on Saturday. Effigies of controversial Irish rappers Kneecap above a message in the Irish language, which translated into English reads 'Murder your local Kneecap' following comments made by the Irish rappers about Tory MPs, placed on a bonfire on Roden St Another bonfire nearby at Roden Street was topped with effigies of Kneecap, as well as a sign written in the Irish language. A bonfire in Eastvale Avenue in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, features the group on a poster with the wording 'Kill Your Local Kneecap', seemingly in response to a clip that emerged from a gig in 2023, which appeared to show a member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' There was also criticism of the placing of Irish flags and sectarian slogans on a number of bonfires including one in the Highfield area of west Belfast. A bonfire is set alight in the Highfield area of west Belfast on Friday night (Rebecca Black/PA) A small number of bonfires were lit on Thursday night, including the controversial pyre in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, which had been widely criticised by political representatives and church leaders after it was topped with an effigy of migrants in a boat. In a statement released ahead of the fire being lit, the PSNI said they were investigating a hate incident in relation to the fire. Effigies of migrants in a boat burn atop a bonfire at Moygashel, Co Tyrone, ahead of events to mark the Twelfth of July (Niall Carson/PA) The boat on top of the bonfire contained more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets. Below the boat were several placards, one saying: 'Stop the boats', and another saying: 'Veterans before refugees'.
