In a dramatic turn of events on the Costa del Sol, the ongoing shadow war between two of Scotland’s most notorious crime families spilled into the Spanish sunlight. On May 31, 2025, Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46—both members of the infamous Lyons gang—were shot dead at Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola, just as they watched the Champions League final with friends. The killings, executed with chilling precision, have since sent shockwaves through both Spanish and Scottish law enforcement communities, reigniting public fears about the reach and ruthlessness of organized crime.
According to reports from BBC News and Daily Mail, Spanish police have alleged that Michael Riley, a 44-year-old from Huyton, Liverpool, was the man behind the attack. Riley, described by authorities as a seasoned member of the rival Daniels crime group, was arrested in Liverpool on June 14, 2025, under an international arrest warrant issued by Spanish authorities. Initially, Riley resisted extradition, claiming he feared for his life if held in a Spanish prison. Yet, just days before his scheduled court appearance, he relented, consenting to be transferred to Spain to face prosecution.
Specialist officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency handled Riley’s extradition, transporting him to Madrid’s Barajas Airport on October 15, 2025. A Spanish court source confirmed that Riley appeared before a judge overnight and was remanded to a Madrid jail, where he can be held for up to two years without charge—though extensions are possible in exceptional cases. He is expected to appear again before a court in Fuengirola, but the date remains unspecified.
The killings themselves were executed with a level of professionalism that stunned seasoned investigators. Malaga-based Spanish police chief Pedro Agudo Novo, speaking at a press conference, emphasized, “The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims’ rival gangs. In this case we’re not talking about an independently hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniels gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang.” He continued, “I want to highlight the high level of professionalism of this individual. Not only did he walk up to the table where the victims were sitting and kill the first man before continuing with his mission when his gun jammed. It’s not normal for a criminal to react the way he did in the face of this unexpected problem and resolve the situation to continue and pursue his second victim inside the bar and kill him.”
Medical reports confirmed that Lyons Jnr died after being hit by a single bullet outside the bar. CCTV footage, as detailed in Daily Mail, showed the gunman—allegedly Riley—pursuing Monaghan into the pub, firing more shots, and fatally wounding him. The attack unfolded within seconds, and the gunman escaped on foot, reportedly following a meticulously planned route that avoided security cameras. Chief Agudo Novo noted, “His escape was also a very professional one. It was clear he had previously studied all the cameras in the area and undertaken some other investigative procedures I can’t go into at this stage. He had his escape route perfectly planned out, picking areas where there were a lack of cameras and at one point even entering a train tunnel and crossing the tracks because he knew he couldn’t be filmed there.”
The victims were not ordinary pub patrons. Both Monaghan and Lyons Jnr were deeply embedded in the Lyons family, a major organized crime group based in the west of Scotland. The Lyons have been locked in a bloody feud with the rival Daniels crime clan for over 25 years—a conflict that has left a trail of violence, including shootings, assaults, and firebombings, across Scotland’s central belt. According to BBC News, this feud has resulted in at least 57 arrests as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Portaledge.
Monaghan’s role in the Lyons operation was particularly significant. As reported by Daily Mail, he was considered a key decision-maker in the gang’s drug operations, with alleged ties to Ireland’s powerful Kinahan cartel. Some insiders even suggested Monaghan wielded more influence than the Lyons family’s figurehead, Steven Lyons. Monaghan’s criminal history was checkered: he had previously been a suspect in the 2010 murder of Daniels member Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll, though the case was later dropped. In 2017, after being shot while dropping his child off at school, Monaghan fled to Spain, seeking refuge on the Costa del Sol.
The circumstances surrounding the May 31 shooting were as brazen as they were tragic. As friends and patrons watched the Champions League final at the bustling beachfront bar, the gunman struck. Lyons Jnr was gunned down outside amid horrified onlookers; Monaghan, believed to be the owner of the establishment, tried to escape but was pursued and killed inside. Both men were cremated after a double funeral in July 2025, their deaths marking another bloody chapter in the Lyons-Daniels saga.
Despite the high-profile nature of the victims and the apparent links to organized crime, Police Scotland was quick to clarify that there was “no evidence the shooting was planned from Scotland or linked to the ongoing gang feud in Scotland’s central belt.” The force stated there was “no intelligence to suggest a link with another gangland feud which has led to a wave of violence across Scotland’s central belt this year.” Nevertheless, Scottish detectives have been assisting Spanish authorities with the investigation, providing background information on the victims and their connections.
Intrigue around the case deepened with the revelation that Spanish police believed Riley was preparing to flee the UK for a “paradise island tax haven” at the time of his arrest. This, coupled with the level of planning and execution, has fueled speculation about the scale and sophistication of transnational organized crime networks operating between the UK, Spain, and beyond.
As the legal process unfolds, Riley faces the prospect of spending years in Spanish custody before even standing trial. Under Spanish law, remand prisoners can be held for up to two years without formal charges, with the possibility of additional two-year extensions in exceptional cases. The extradition and swift remanding of Riley underscore the seriousness with which both British and Spanish authorities are treating the case.
Meanwhile, the communities affected by the feud are left to reckon with its ongoing toll. The Costa del Sol, long a haven for expatriates and holidaymakers, has also become a magnet for those seeking to escape the heat of gangland turf wars back home. Yet, as this case so starkly demonstrates, violence has a way of following its architects, no matter the distance.
With Michael Riley now behind bars in Madrid and investigations ongoing, the families of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr—and the wider public—await answers and, perhaps, a measure of justice in a saga that has spanned decades and crossed borders.
