Spanish police told to collect wife-killer
The Louth man is in custody awaiting extradition to Spain to serve a two-year sentence for the manslaughter of his wife, Kelly Ann Corcoran, more than 10 years ago.
The mother-of-two died from injuries sustained when she fell from a hotel balcony after a violent struggle with her husband while on a family holiday in Marbella, in the Costa del Sol, Spain, on February 11, 2000.
McArdle, of Brookfield, Heynestown, Dundalk, agreed in the High Court last week to voluntarily return to Spain after fighting a lengthy battle against returning.
The 41-year-old was remanded to Cloverhill Prison pending arrangements for his extradition.
Reports yesterday suggested Spanish police were fuming after being told by gardaí to travel to Ireland and bring McArdle back.
According to the reports, Spanish police claimed that standard practice in European Arrest Warrants was for the country where the suspect is held to bring him back.
Responding, Garda sources rejected this and said the standard practice was for the requesting country to come and collect the suspect.
“There is no question of us bringing him to Spain. The way the warrant works is for the requesting country to travel here,” said one senior source.
He said gardaí would meet the Spanish police at the airport, bring them to Cloverhill Prison, do all the paperwork and bring them back to the airport.
