
Diogo Jota thought to have been driving before fatal crash, Spanish police say
The Liverpool player and father-of-three was killed alongside his brother, also a footballer, after the Lamborghini they were travelling in burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in the early hours of last Thursday in Zamora, Spain.
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A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil of Zamora told the PA news agency that tests being carried out by its traffic division showed Jota was driving the car at the time.
The crash occurred in northern Spain (Emilio Fraile/AP)
The spokesperson added that the car was thought to be travelling above the speed limit on the road, which local media report is 120km/h.
The spokesperson said: 'The expert report is being carried out and finished, where among other things they are studying the marks (tread) left by one of the wheels of the vehicle.
'Everything also points to a possible high excess of speed over the permitted speed of the road.
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'All the tests carried out for the moment point to the fact that the driver of the vehicle was Diogo Jota.'
The report has not yet been finalised but will be handed over to the court in the town of Puebla de Sanabria, Zamora.
Diogo Jota's funeral took place in Portugal (Manu Fernandez/AP)
Jota and his brother were found dead after the car crashed on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora at 12.40am on Thursday.
Pictures of the aftermath of the crash showed debris scattered along the side of the road including what appeared to be charred parts of the vehicle.
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Liverpool squad bid emotional farewell to Diogo Jo...
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Footballers, family and fans gathered for the funeral of the brothers, which took place in their native Portugal on Saturday.
Jota's long-term partner Rute Cardoso, whom he had married just 11 days before the accident, was in attendance, as were his parents.
Tributes poured in from around the world, with Oasis and Cristiano Ronaldo among those who mourned the loss of the brothers.

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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Knifed in the legs, stripped naked then shot in the head: The Reservoir Dogs-style execution that sparked a bloody tit for tat Irish gang war on the Costa Blanca
John George's death was so gruesome it could have been a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie: first he was stabbed in the legs so he couldn't run away then repeatedly beaten before finally being shot in the face and chest. His broken, lifeless body was then dumped in an isolated Spanish lemon grove where, even though it was December, the sun was still warm enough that when the father-of-two's body was finally discovered in early January, it was so decomposed that his devastated family were unable to have an open casket at his funeral back home in Northern Ireland. George's murder came just a few days after he left his Belfast home and flew to the Costa Blanca, a magnet for many British and Irish tourists thanks to its home from home atmosphere of pubs, fish and chip shops and curry restaurants. Watering holes such as The Randy Leprechaun, Paddy's Point and Murphy's Sports Tavern serving Guinness and other Irish beers, provide a reassuring link with the old country back home. But apart from the tourists, the area is increasingly being targeted by organised crime gangs, many of them from Ireland, both north and south. And some of their rivalries are having a terrifying impact on the Costa Blanca, particularly since the murder of John George which set off a wave of tit for tat vendettas attacks. In the last three months alone there have been two attempted murders - one local police believe directly connected to the death of Mr George - and a massive 84 kilo cocaine bust involving the arrest of A source on the Costa Blanca with knowledge of the local crime scene told MailOnline: 'There has been an increase in serious incidents involving Irish and Northern Irish in the area not only as victims, but also as alleged perpetrators. 'These events have raised concerns within the local community and suggest a worrying trend of escalating violence and a disturbing pattern, linked to individuals from Ireland, both north and south. 'While the authorities have not officially confirmed any broader connections, the nature, severity and frequency of these events – along with the individuals involved – have led many to speculate that we're seeing the signs of organised criminal structures taking root here. 'Locals have begun referring to it as an 'open secret' that elements of the Irish underworld are becoming increasingly active on the Costa Blanca. 'The word on the street here is that the Irish mafia is trying to establish a foothold in this region, using the area's anonymity, relaxed atmosphere, and the international mix of residents as cover. An ex-pat Irish gangster can blend in easily here.' But let us return to Mr George. The 37-year-old last contacted his family at their home in Twinbrook, west Belfast, on December 14, when his father, who readily admits his son was 'no angel' urged him to come home. Four days after the last phone call, in which Mr George told his mother he 'loved her' and would 'see ya soon' he was reported missing. His heartbroken father Billy George spent last Christmas with family and friends looking for his son around the Spanish neighbourhood before that horrible discovery in the lemon grove. Mr George told MailOnline: 'No one deserves to die like that. He was treated like a dog. It was horrible and all we want now is justice.' He said of his son:' He was no angel, but he was a good lad, he loved his kids and they will now grow up without their father. We told him to come back because we didn't like the crowd he was keeping but he said he would be fine. 'I think he was killed the same day we spoke with him - December 14. 'We reported him missing four days later, and I went out to Spain and spent three and a half weeks later we found him but I think his body had been moved. 'We were hearing all sorts of false information from people who were saying they wanted to help but they weren't they were hindering, and these people also knew more than they were letting on.' Mr George had spent time in Spain with a known drug dealer known as Jonny Smyth, 26, also from Northern Ireland and a Czech man called Michal Maly, a former member of the French Foreign Legion. Pictures on Smyth's social media show him living the high life in Spain, with fast cars, fast motorbikes, luxury watches and highly desirable apartments, apparently funded through a cannabis shop he ran in Benidorm. Smyth was eventually identified by Spanish police as a suspect for the murder and eventually arrested in Braga, Portugal, in March Before he was tracked down Smyth got married to his partner, Only Fans model Madison Allen, 19, in Gibraltar. Allen – who has a prolific social media profile illustrated with pictures of her mainly in bikinis – is not a suspect and is not being sought by Spanish authorities and continues to live in the country. And she has told followers as much. But what is concerning is just how they managed to marry in Gibraltar at the official residence of the governor known as The Convent, during an international manhunt when he was wanted for murder. After he was finally arrested Smyth was extradited back to Spain where he is currently in custody awaiting trial for murder. Michai Maly, 32, was picked up in the early stages of the investigation and is said to have provided false information to the family as to the whereabouts of Mr George's body before eventually tipping police off as to where he had been dumped. MailOnline visited the spot where he was found, an isolated country road in the countryside near the village of Rojales, amid lemon groves, around 45 minutes from where he was last seen. Mr George's body was found on January 7, dumped in that lemon grove which is in rural farmland a mile off the main road linking Rojales with Torrevieja. Police had been tipped off to its location by Maly and Mr George's father wants to know more about his dealings with the police. The isolated location where the body was found is close to a farm, and the land, which is popular with fly tippers, is owned by a man called Jose. Jose, who declined to give his surname such is the fear of gangland violence in the area, told MailOnline: 'The first I knew a body was there was when the police came to the house. They asked me if I had seen or heard anything, but I hadn't. 'When they showed me the location, I was shocked, I had seen blood on the road but assumed it was from an animal that had been run over. 'I walked past that spot every day and didn't smell or notice anything. I'm just so surprised - nothing like this has ever happened here. 'About a month later I met the dead man's brother. He came to see the spot and left some flowers, and I offered my condolences.' MailOnline can also reveal that security cameras, covering a small reservoir of water, point towards the road where the body was dumped but because of Spanish privacy laws they are pixelated. Police were also left empty handed and with no leads after retrieving the footage as it deletes itself after a fortnight. A few minutes away a small shrine has been made by friends and family with flowers and pictures of Mr George attached to a wire fence. The hot sun has faded the petals. A small stone has been left on the floor with the inscription that reads 'Special son. Always in my dreams. Forever in my heart.' The spot his body was found is around six miles from the apartment Mr George was staying in with Smyth at Orihuela Costa, when he arrived last December. The ground floor flat with swimming pool is owned by a British man and currently rented out to a family of Belgian holidaymakers who had no idea of what had happened there. A Dutch man who lives opposite told MailOnline: 'It's terrible what happened there. I remember the night he disappeared. 'There was a big party and there was lots of noise and fireworks, some of them were really loud and now we are thinking: 'Was that gunshots?' 'I remember the man who rented it covered with tattoos and his girlfriend as well, they were always having wild parties, every night loud noise and people coming and going. 'You don't have to be too clever to work out it was all to do with drugs. The police watched the house for a month after he disappeared, they were in a van. 'Everyone knew they were there, but I don't think anything came of it.' Police initially believed another man was involved in the murder of George and on social media, wild rumours circulated involving the brutal stabbing of Dan McMeekin, 29, another Irishman two months ago. Posts from Jonny Smyth's Instagram page advertising cannabis and poppers for sale He was slashed across the throat as he stopped to relieve himself after spending the night in a local Irish themed pub in Torrevieja and social media shows him to be a pal of Smyth and Maly and he also knew Mr George. As he stood in the dark by a small substation, he was attacked from behind with a box cutter – the pools of blood still visible on the pavement – before his attacker fled into the night. McMeekin is himself no stranger to crime, and is expected to testify in Mr George's eventual murder trial. He almost died in the attack - but was rushed to hospital where his life was saved by surgeons. Initially he refused to name his attacker but told police he knew him and a few days after the attack a 58-year-old man also from Ireland was later arrested and although his identity has not been revealed he is also said to be 'well known to police'. Mr George, 56, said: 'I'm sure Dan McMeekin knows something. I don't think he was there when my son was murdered but he's somehow connected, and someone was obviously trying to shut him up. 'There are people like McMeekin who know more than they are letting on and there's no doubt in my mind the attempt on his life was to silence him, he knew what was going to happen to John that night. 'From what I know there was some sort of argument that night between John and Smyth. 'My John was a boxer… he knew how to handle himself and he would have been able to take Smyth out. 'I think Smyth had help.' Mr George added:' All we want now is justice, I want whoever killed John to go behind bars for a long time, I don't want him out after just 12 or 13 years. 'Those involved are all scum bags, the lowest of the low, they took a loving father away from two boys aged 14 and seven and they should pay for that.' Lawyer Andrea Marin, who is representing the George family, told MailOnline: 'The investigation is closed, and the police are not looking for anyone else. 'I haven't been given access to the full files yet as there is a lot of paperwork to go through, I have to provide birth certificates for Mr George and his father, and this have to be translated and certified. 'Once all that is complete, I will have a clearer picture and can inform the family about when the trial is likely to happen, but it won't be until way after the summer. 'July and August are 'meses muertos' as we say in Spain, dead months. Everyone is away on holiday and everything is closed.' For Mr George Snr, the wounds are still raw. He said: 'It was one of John's kids' birthdays this week, 'I'd like to let the people who killed him know that. 'I had to take a card round to the house, because they wouldn't be getting one from their daddy…That was tough.'


The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Spanish teenager investigated on suspicion of creating AI-generated nude videos
Police in eastern Spain are investigating a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of using artificial intelligence to create and share fake nude images of his female schoolmates that he intended to sell online. Guardia Civil officers in the Ribera Alta area of Valencia began investigating in December last year after a female student reported the creation of a social media account in her name that featured an AI-generated video. Guardia Civil said in a statement on Sunday: 'Photos of various people, all of them minors, appeared on this account. All these photos had been modified from the originals, which had been manipulated so that the people in them appeared completely naked.' The same girl reported a second social media account in her name, as well as other accounts that showed AI-generated nude videos, and a webpage devoted to advertising the images for commercial purposes. After 15 other minors came forward with similar complaints, officers began to suspect the person behind the faked images and videos was one of the girls' schoolmates. By trawling social media posts, contacting hosting companies and examining a website advertising AI image modification services, police picked up the trail of the suspect. Guardia Civil said: 'Officers obtained user and access information used on these platforms – including IP addresses – which led to the home of one of the complainants' schoolmates. They also confirmed that the emails used to create the accounts belonged to the same person.' The Guardia Civil said a 17-year-old boy was being investigated on suspicion of corrupting minors, adding that a youth court in Valencia was overseeing the case. Last year, 15 minors in the south-western Spanish region of Extremadura were sentenced to a year's probation after being convicted of using AI to produce fake naked images of their female schoolmates, which they had shared on WhatsApp groups. The defendants were also ordered to attend classes on gender and equality awareness, and on the 'responsible use of technology'. The court said in a statement: 'The sentence notes that it has been proved that the minors used artificial intelligence applications to obtain manipulated images of [other minors] by taking girls' original faces from their social media profiles and superimposing those images on the bodies of naked female bodies. The manipulated photos were then shared on two WhatsApp groups.' The Malvaluna Association, which acted on behalf of the affected families, said the case had implications for wider Spanish society. 'Beyond this particular trial, these facts should make us reflect on the need to educate people about equality between men and women,' the association told the online newspaper at the time. It said the case underlined the necessity of proper sex education at school so that children did not learn about sex from pornography, which 'generates more sexism and violence'. In March, Spain's socialist-led government said it was working on a law that would help protect young people online by treating internet grooming and the use of non-consensual AI-created sexual imagery as criminal offences.


BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Toxteth fire: Residents tell of 'shock' after two houses torched
The home of a couple and their young child was gutted by fire along with the house next door in a suspected arson attack. Merseyside Police said petrol had been poured into the front porch of one of the properties, in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, to ignite the blaze, which then spread to the second house.A relative of the woman living in the house said she was out of the country on holiday with her family but was "in shock" after the attack in Carlingford Close, just before midnight on Saturday night. It is the second serious house fire believed to have been deliberately started in Liverpool within just over 24 hours after a man also escaped a property in Everton. The second property is also believed to have been empty at the time according to neighbours, with the family also understood to be on holiday. Both houses had suffered visibly extensive damage throughout, with charred and blackened furniture piled into the front gardens by forensic investigators. The relative, who did not wish to be named, lives close by but said he was at his father's house when his wife called with news of the fire. He said: "I think the whole close was out, everybody was in shock."I can't think why anyone would do this, there is no logic to it at all."He said both families had been "very lucky" not to be at home, although his relative had been informed and was "in shock". He added: "This close is normally very nice and peaceful, all the kids who live here all go out and play and it's very peaceful, very multi-cultural with people from all around the world. "Nobody expected for this to happen, it's shocking." Merseyside Police said no injuries had been reported. The investigation comes after another attack on Roxburgh Street in Everton on Friday evening. The force has also recently charged a man with murder after an elderly couple, Eric Greener and Sheila Jackson, died in a fire in St Helens on 15 July. Det Insp Victoria Lanceley: "We all know too well the devastation and fatal consequences such an incredibly dangerous act can cause and puts the lives of residents in the street at risk. "It's only down to sheer fortune that no one was injured in this incident and clearly it could have been a lot worse." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.