Michael Riley is set to be moved from his lavish prison to a much more crowded and violent jail after he was flown to Madrid in October to stand trial for the gangland shootingGerard Couzens News Correspondent and Rory Gannon Showbiz Journalist
11:45, 27 Dec 2025Updated 11:55, 27 Dec 2025
The suspect in Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr’s murders is now set to have an unhappy new year celebration in prison(Image: Daily Record)
The man accused of killing Scots gangsters Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr will see in the New Year from a cramped prison near the scene of his alleged crime.
Michael Riley was initially held in a cushy Spanish jail dubbed ‘The VIP prison’ after abandoning his extradition fight and being flown to Madrid in October.
Last month it emerged his days at Soto del Real prison near the Spanish capital, which has a 65-ft-long swimming pool, were numbered.
Spanish authorities have now confirmed Riley, held in Liverpool on an international arrest warrant a fortnight after his alleged victims were shot dead on May 31 at Ross Monaghans’s pub in the Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola, is now at Alhaurin de la Torre prison near Malaga.
The move was approved following a request from Riley’s lawyer who is thought to be based in the Malaga area and will be in a better position to prepare his defence with his client closer by. Alhaurin had been touted as the most likely new home for the suspected double killer.
Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr were gunned down in a “gangland” shooting back in May(Image: Daily Record)
A court source said: “Riley’s case is with what was called Court Number Two in Fuengirola, now the Civil and Preliminary Investigation Section of Court of First Instance Number Two. His remand in custody was confirmed on November 13, with no bail, for the alleged commission of two counts of murder of Scottish citizens inside a pub.
“He was quizzed from Alhaurin Prison where he is being held.” It is not known if Riley agreed to answer questions put to him by the investigating judge or retained his right to silence during the hearing, which took place via videoconference.
Only trials take place in public in Spain and formal charges have yet to be laid against the Brit suspect. Under Spanish law suspects can be held for up to four years on remand, although a two-year extension after the initial two years of incarceration are up has to be approved by a judge at a special hearing.
The pair were buried in a joint funeral, whilst Michael Riley was extradited to Madrid to stand trial(Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Daily Record)
Soto del Real’s VIP tag is partly linked to the fact high-profile bankers, politicians and sports chiefs have spent time there. They include ex-Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, former Spanish footballer and UEFA and FIFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar, the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Rodrigo Rato and Inaki Urdangarin, a former Spanish Olympic handball player and ex-brother-in-law of King Felipe VI.
It’s been called the Jail Resort and Soto del Relax and even the Golden Cage by critics, with one Spanish newspaper claiming recently it could be on Booking with five stars, as well as a 65ft-long swimming pool its facilities include gyms and squash, basketball and futsal courts. At the end of June around 1,000 people were said to be sleeping in its 1,008 cells; by contrast 34-year-old Alhaurin Prison is home to more than 1,100 inmates, well-above the 836 it’s equipped to hold.
Prisoners who have spent time complain of having to sleep in tiny cells with no ventilation where summer temperatures can reach more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Prison union bosses have described the prison as “conflictive.”
The pub where the killings took place has reopened under a different name(Image: Facebook/LIVERPOOL ECHO)
Michael Riley was arrested back in June by police in Merseyside and extradited back to Spain in order to face trial. The 44-year-old was the subject of an international arrest warrant following the “gangland” shooting on May 31 outside Monaghans Bar, which the 46-year-old worked, together with 43-year-old pal Eddie Lyons Jnr.
In the wake of the shooting, the pub was forced to shut due to Ross’ death, leading to no one owning the bar. Following some time to be treated as a crime scene, the pub has now reopened under the new name Irish Rover.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.