Suspect in Spain murder captured

A notorious criminal suspected of killing an innocent Irish father in front of his terrified family during a sun holiday in Spain has finally been captured after a three-year manhunt.

Darren O’Flaherty, aged 39, from Kirkby in Liverpool, was arrested on Tuesday night by armed police in north Wales in the middle of an impromptu birthday party in his honour.

The British man, who was among Britain’s top 10 targets due to his links to a string of other crimes, is the prime suspect in the murder of father-of-two, John O’Neill, in July 2010.

The Dublin plasterer had attempted to act as a peacemaker in a dispute involving Mr O’Flaherty at Coco’s Bar in Benalmadena, near Torremolinos, three years ago.

Mr O’Neill, who was attending a friend’s wedding, intervened when Mr O’Flaherty grew increasingly aggressive while waiting to use a toilet and began kicking the cubicle door.

Witnesses said the Liverpool native stormed out of the bar. However, minutes later he is alleged to have returned with a gun and shot Mr O’Neill in front of terrified onlookers.

At the time, the Dublin plasterer’s son was three years old and his daughter was aged just nine months.

Mr O’Flaherty had been living in the Costa del Sol after escaping Britain in the aftermath of a notorious gangland heist. He is alleged to have played a key role in the 2006 kidnap and robbery of a HGV driver who was held at knifepoint in his vehicle while it was driven from north Yorkshire to Liverpool. Once more than €500,000 worth of cargo was unloaded and the driver released after several hours, the vehicle was set alight.

He was arrested by armed police at 7.15pm on Tuesday night while celebrating his birthday at a Chinese restaurant in Caernarfon, north Wales.

Dave Allen, head of the Fugitives Unit at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), said: “Darren O’Flaherty was out celebrating with his friends, but law enforcement had planned a birthday surprise.

“This arrest, following an operation by Merseyside and north Wales police, means 53 fugitives wanted under Operation Captura have now been apprehended, and those still at large should also expect to be brought before UK courts.”

Mr O’Flaherty was the 53rd of 65 targets arrested by Operation Captura, which is a police investigation attempting to track down some of the most notorious British criminals living on-the-run in Spain.

Roger Critchell, director of operations at Crimestoppers, said: “Both Merseyside Police and North Wales authorities have been crucial to this arrest.”

O’Flaherty appeared before magistrates yesterday morning for a minor driving offence committed on Merseyside, police said.

Court proceedings regarding the more serious offences will now follow in Yorkshire.