Suspect arrested over Costa del Sol killing of dad
A MAN has been arrested after a dad-of-two was shot dead on the Costa del Sol.
Photographs showing the British suspect’s detention in an area close to Murcia, in south-east Spain, have been released by police.
Wearing flip-flops and shorts, he’s shown in handcuffs being led into the back of an undercover police car by Spanish Guardia Civil officers.
Salford businessman Peter Andrew Williamson – nicknamed ‘Snaggle’ – was shot as he parked his Audi outside his villa in Riviera del Sol, near Mijas, last November.
Originally from Kersal, Mr Williamson,
39, had just returned from the gym when his killer walked up to him and opened fire. He is said by police to have been followed before he was shot.
Officers in Spain also revealed that 20 kilos of cannabis resin was seized from the home of the suspect, who was held last month.
They said he was detained after returning to Spain following a short stay in South America. Police also confirmed in their first official comment on the case that a second British man had been held in the UK, although he is said to be in prison for ‘unrelated offences.’ Spain’s Civil Guard said the killing of Mr Williamson was ‘allegedly motivated by rivalry between two criminal gangs involved in Costa del Sol drugs trafficking.’
A spokesman said in a statement: “With the arrest of two British men, the Civil Guard has managed to clarify the fatal shooting of a man in Mijas.
“The murder occurred last November when a British man was shot dead in his vehicle.
“For investigators the main motive for the crime is the rivalry between two different drugs trafficking gangs. Thanks to help from the British police, officers managed to identify the two suspects.”
The statement added: “The killers travelled from England to Barcelona, where they hired a vehicle they used to get to Mijas.
“They followed the victim for several days until they chose the perfect moment to shoot him.
“The careful selection of the time and location to commit the murder shows their criminal experience, cold blood and dangerousness. One of the authors of the crime was arrested in the UK and sent to prison for previous crimes he had committed in Britain. He is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant so the Spanish courts can try him for the killing carried out here. The other detainee was moving around other European countries and South America for five months.
“He returned to Spain when the coronavirus-linked state of alarm was declared and settled in a small village in Murcia. He was arrested there at a house used to prepare the shipping of cannabis resin. When he was held, police found 20 kilos of the drug vacuum-packed. Police also arrested another alleged member of the drug trafficking gang.”
Business records show Mr Williamson was registered as a selfemployed agricultural sector intermediary, specialising in ‘international trade.’
The suspect could now face extradition. He was remanded in jail in Spain last month following a court hearing as part of an ongoing murder investigation.