The National Police have arrested a British fugitive in Torrevieja, who is wanted in the United Kingdom for the murder of his partner back in 1990.
Glenn Wathall, 65 years of age, from Burton on Trent in Staffordshire, was sentenced to life in prison in 1999 after he viciously beat his partner to death on Christmas Day, but when out on parole in February 2015 he fled the country, with his whereabouts unknown until he was arrested just over 2 weeks ago in Torrevieja.
He was able to evade arrest because of his use of multiple identities. He had no permanent address as he resided with elderly, and vulnerable, British women, many of whom are said to have had some type of addiction issue or intellectual impairment. They each provided him with economic support.
Spanish detectives said that he is now in custody, and they are awaiting the outcome of a judge’s decision as to whether he should be extradited.
The investigation began in May when the UK authorities, through Interpol, informed the National Police of the possible presence in Spain of the fugitive, who had been convicted of murdering his partner in 1990. After being bailed in 2015 he absconded from the UK and his whereabouts remained unknown until two weeks ago.
The British authorities informed the National Police that the fugitive could be in the vicinity of Torrevieja. They indicated that Wathall was potentially dangerous, and they had been told that he had recently been living with two British women who had died recently, one of them suddenly.”
Agents managed to locate a man who fully matched the profile of the images received. However, he had lived in Spain since 2017 using a different identity, so as not to be discovered, living in the homes of several British women.
The British authorities also provided the National Police with license plate details of two vehicles that they thought he was using. Both were subsequently found in a state of apparent abandonment in Torrevieja.
The information that finally resulted in his arrest related to his current partner. The police had been watching her property on a residential estate in the town, with the suspect finally intercepted as he left his home in late November. Wathall was duly arrested and has now been handed over to a judge who will decide on his extradition to the United Kingdom.
Wathall was imprisoned for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released but breached bail conditions in February 2015 in the Stafford area.
Ever since he has been “wanted for recall to prison” and in April of this year, Crimestoppers issued a fresh appeal for information regarding his whereabouts.
