Widows of slain gangsters Eddie Lyons Jr & Ross Monaghan take legal action against pair’s alleged hitman

THE widows of two Scots hoods shot dead in the Costa del Sol have hired lawyers in a bid to nail alleged hitman Michael Riley themselves. Insiders said the wives of Eddie Lyons Jr, 46, and Ross Monaghan, 43, will “pursue every legal avenue” in Spain. Lyons Jr, 46, and Monaghan, 43, were both gunned down at Monaghans Bar, Fuengirola, on May 31 last year A photo of Joanne, 45, with her husband was included in the order of service for Lyons Jr Jade, 40, was snapped in 2012 sheltering under a brolly as she went into Glasgow’s High Court to give evidence on behalf of her spouse Credit: Iain McLellan/Spindrift Photo Agency Michael Riley is currently holed up in prison while a judge assesses whether there is enough evidence to charge him The grieving pair could even launch their own court showdown in Spain with Michael Riley, 45, if he isn’t put on trial over the Costa del Sol gun murders. The details can be revealed after sources confirmed Lyons’ wife Joanne and Monaghan’s wife Jade have hired lawyers to kick off a private prosecution of the man accused of the double shooting. Riley, of Liverpool, is currently holed up in prison while a judge assesses whether there is enough evidence to charge him before prosecutors can submit indictments. But the Spanish system allows victims’ loved ones to also seek personal justice through a process known as “acusacion particular”. They can draw up their own charges and prosecute at a criminal trial — even if the state prosecutor decides not to formally accuse suspects. It also opens the door for a victim’s legal representative to request a different or harsher prison sentence as well as higher compensation payouts. And if Riley stands trial, private prosecutors hired by the widows could quiz him separately in the same court. A Spanish court source told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: “The case against Riley is proceeding normally. Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola, Spain Credit: Unknown Lyons’ wife Joanne and Monaghan’s wife Jade have hired lawyers to kick off a private prosecution of Riley Credit: SOLARPIX.COM “It has been referred to a jury trial because the crime has been categorised as murder. Under Spanish law, that has to be tried by nine jurors instead of three professional judges. “But no formal indictments have been laid yet.” Another insider said: “Any trial is still a long way off. It won’t happen this year for sure. In the best of scenarios it’s going to be next year.” Riley is behind bars at Teixeiro Prison in Galicia, north-west Spain after being transferred from Alhaurin de la Torre prison near Malaga. Lyons Jr, 46, and Monaghan, 43, were both gunned down at Monaghans Bar, Fuengirola, on May 31 last year. Eddie’s brother, gang boss Steven Lyons, 45, was extradited from the Netherlands to Spain in June to face trial over money laundering and organised crime charges. A photo of Joanne, 45, with her husband was included in the order of service for Lyons Jr and lifelong pal Monaghan in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, in July last year. We told this May how she was named as executor for her spouse, who left more than £500,000 in his will. Jade, 40, was snapped in 2012 sheltering under a brolly as she went into Glasgow’s High Court to give evidence on behalf of her spouse. Monaghan was then cleared of gunning down notorious Daniel mob enforcer Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll, 29, at a city supermarket car park in 2010. After Riley’s arrest, Malaga-based police chief Pedro Agudo Novo said the suspect planned to flee the UK for a “paradise island tax haven”. The top cop also said Riley was a member of the Daniel crime clan, bitter foes of the Lyons in Glasgow. But Police Scotland has insisted they have “no intelligence” to suggest the killings of Monaghan and Lyons Jr were linked to the ongoing gangland turf war here. We revealed last week four suspects were nicked across Lanarkshire as part of the force’s ongoing Operation Portaledge investigation. More than 20 thugs have been convicted for their roles in the wave of firebombings, murder bids and assaults linked to the Lyons and Daniel factions that kicked off in March last year.