Spanish police have arrested a 34-year-old British man by the name of William Hunter, wanted in Portugal for the brutal killing of his housemate in the Algarve in April 2022.
Hunter was given a 16-year prison sentence in 2023 for murdering 22-year-old Elliot Mulligan, from Croxteth in Liverpool, in an Albufeira apartment in April 2022.
The suspect, detained in Alicante last week, had been on the run for 17 months. He was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by Portugal, where he had already been convicted of murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison in May 2023. He later appealed the conviction and was released on bail in April this year after reaching the maximum period allowed in pre-trial detention. Instead of complying with his bail conditions, he fled the country.
According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, the fugitive murdered a 22-year-old fellow Briton in the Albufeira apartment they shared, stabbing him 24 times with a kitchen knife.
Authorities said he evaded capture by moving between communities in southern and south-eastern Spain, aided by relatives and associates from his criminal network. He also exploited the large British expatriate population in the region to make it harder for police to track him down. After “several failed attempts,” Spanish officers finally arrested him following an operation involving multiple agencies.
The operation was the result of cooperation between the Guardia Civil, Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária, and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). It was the NCA that tipped off Spanish authorities about his possible whereabouts.
In a statement, the NCA stated: “International liaison officers coordinated the exchange of intelligence and data between agencies to locate the fugitive,” highlighting the collaboration with both Portuguese and Spanish counterparts.
Gill Duggan, of the NCA, said: "Above all, our thoughts remain with Elliot's family, who have endured an unimaginable loss and the painful reality that the man responsible had not been held accountable for his violent actions.
"Our pursuit of Hunter was relentless, driven by a deep commitment to securing justice for those who love Elliot."
"With thanks to our partners at Merseyside Police and in Spain and Portugal, Hunter is behind bars where he belongs, and where he will remain for a long time to come."
Det Supt Mark Drew, of Merseyside Police, said: "The arrest of William Hunter was part of a joint operation between Merseyside Police, NCA, Guardia Civil's fugitive team and Portuguese Judicial Police.
He added: "We are committed to working with our partners to capture those that evade law enforcement and bring them to justice. We will continue to support Elliot's family. As they finally see justice being done after their tragic loss, we hope that the arrest of William Hunter brings them some comfort."
Hunter is currently being held in a Spanish prison, pending extradition proceedings to Portugal.
