Costa couple killers lose appeal

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A north Wales couple's murderers have had their convictions and sentences upheld by Spain's Supreme Court.

Anthony and Linda O'Malley, of Llangollen, Denbighshire, were Costa Blanca house-hunting when snatched and killed by Venezuelan brothers-in-law.

Jorge Real Sierra and Jose Antonio Velazquez Gonzalez received jail sentences of over 100 years last May.

Mr O'Malley's brother Bernard, of Cheshire, said: "At last it is all over and we can now get on with our lives.

"Even last year after the verdict and sentences it still dragged on because of the appeal. But now it's finished."

Bound and gagged

Mr and Mrs O'Malley, who were originally from Liverpool, were kidnapped when they went to view a house at Alcoy, near Benidorm, which they had seen advertised in an English-language newspaper.

They were imprisoned and bound and gagged in the cellar of the house which the Venezuelans had rented.

Both men were jailed for 54 years and six months for first degree murder, kidnapping, extortion, stealing the couple's hire car, falsifying an official document and misappropriation.

Sierra was also jailed for a further seven years and six months for forgery, fraud and illegal possession of a firearm.

The pair launched an appeal against both their convictions and sentence.

But Spain's Supreme Court upheld the convictions, and made two alterations to the original sentences.

Gonzalez had his sentences for falsifying a document and misappropriation increased by two years and eight months.

The seven years and six months handed down to Sierra for forgery, fraud and illegal arms possession was cut by two years and 10 months because the offences were not directly linked to the kidnap and murder of the couple.