A man from the UK was shot multiple times in an unsuccessful assassination attempt in a Spanish parking lot, and he has now been identified. Sonny Redmond, aged 32, narrowly escaped death when an attacker fired more than a dozen bullets at his car in Costa Blanca on December 11 last year. Redmond suffered gunshot wounds to his arm, leg, and chest before seeking help from a neighbor as the shooter fled. The incident occurred around 10 pm in an underground parking area in a residential part of Orihuela Costa, situated north of Torrevieja, known as Lomas de Cabo Roig.
Images widely shared on social media and in Spanish newspapers show the car’s front windshield riddled with bullet holes. The victim was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for urgent surgery and was reported to be in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.
According to reports, Redmond, from Merseyside, was one of two British men arrested and still under investigation for an armed robbery at a cannabis club the previous year. It is believed that he was released on bail in November, about seven months after his initial arrest and detention.
Although the duration of Redmond’s residence in southern Spain remains uncertain, he is originally from the Bootle area of Merseyside. In the mid-2010s, a court in Merseyside issued a gang injunction against him due to suspected involvement in organized criminal activities in south Sefton.
He later became a wanted individual by Merseyside Police for violating the injunction and failing to appear in court on alleged drug charges. Others on the list included individuals like Connor Chapman, who was later convicted of the Christmas Eve murder of Elle Edwards, and Kevin Parle, a suspected hired killer linked to two murders over 20 years ago, along with now-incarcerated drug trafficker Michael Moogan, who was apprehended in Dubai after evading authorities for numerous years.
Spanish media identified Redmond as one of two men allegedly engaged in an armed robbery at a cannabis club in San Fulgencio. Local sources indicated that he and another man, aged 33, reportedly entered the club with what appeared to be firearms, then fled with cash and products valued at €5,000 in October 2024.
As per a local newspaper, The Olive Press, the duo subsequently demanded €25,000 and future profits, intimidating the owner and his family. Redmond allegedly tried to evade capture by altering his identity but was eventually apprehended after a standoff where he purportedly held an elderly couple hostage.
The shooting incident involving Redmond is believed to be linked to the killing of a 29-year-old British man discovered at a housing development in the Campoamor area of Alicante, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. The victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds on December 21, although Spanish authorities did not confirm the investigation until several days after Christmas.
Sources suggest that the shootings are associated with organized drug gangs from Britain and Ireland operating in the Vega Baja region of Alicante. The Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil in Alicante are conducting the investigation into the fatal shooting. A police representative mentioned that “The Orihuela Court of Instruction has sealed the proceedings,” hinting at a media blackout on official information.
However, it is common for Spanish authorities to withhold details from the media during ongoing investigations. These shootings in December follow a series of other firearm-related incidents earlier in the year, suspected to have connections to Merseyside.
Steven Gray, aged 32, from Bootle, was tragically shot in Calahonda, a popular British holiday destination in Spain, on Easter Monday. Shortly after, authorities discovered a burnt vehicle containing two damaged firearms.
In the subsequent month, Scottish criminals Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were shot in Fuengirola on May 31 while watching a football match. Michael Terrence Riley, aged 44, originally from Bootle but living in Huyton, was extradited from the UK to stand trial for their murders.
The southern region of Spain is often referred to as the “Costa del Crime” due to the significant presence of organized crime groups utilizing its coastline as a base of operations. The area, once favored for its lenient extradition laws, now witnesses clashes between British and Irish gangs and cartels from South America and Eastern Europe as they vie for control.