David Ungi ‘may need to face Spanish justice’ before returning to UK

One of the UK’s most wanted fugitives may have to face justice in Spain before being returned to the UK for questioning on suspicion of murder.

David Ungi jnr was arrested in a gym inside a shopping center in the Malaga town of Coín, along with three other men. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said officers in Spain also seized a Ruger 9mm pistol and ammunition from a backpack during the operation.

Ungi, formerly of Melbreck Road in Allerton, boarded a ferry from Dover and disappeared on the European mainland on July 15, 2015, less than 24 hours after teenager Vinny Waddington was shot dead in Banks Road, Garston. Two men were convicted of murder and jailed for life in 2016, but Ungi remained wanted until Thursday of last week (May 5).

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Ungi, now 30, has already appeared in a Spanish court for a first appearance and is likely to follow extradition proceedings. However, ECHO understands that in “most cases” in Spain, suspected domestic crimes are considered first before extradition proceedings can be initiated.

It is unclear what charges, if any, Spanish authorities will bring against Ungi and how long a delay in serious charges would cause. No further court dates have yet been set.

Ungi is the NCA’s third most wanted target captured in recent days after alleged killer Callum Halpin was captured in Portugal on Monday last week, and Alex Male, wanted on drug charges, was arrested at Portugal airport. Lisbon last Saturday.

Speaking after the news of Ungi’s arrest was announced on Friday night, Steve Reynolds, NCA’s regional manager for Spain, said: “Arresting three of the UK’s most wanted fugitives in one week is a fantastic achievement. . Ungi is a very dangerous person and his arrest is good news for the communities both in Liverpool and in Spain.

“These arrests would not have been possible without the close cooperation between UK police forces and our law enforcement colleagues in Spain and Portugal. There are still several fugitives on our most wanted list, and they should know that we will never give up and we will never be left behind.”

Vinny, 18, was the rear seat passenger on a scrambler motorcycle driven by his friend, Francis Humphries, that was struck by an Audi A3 car. In the seconds that followed, he fired a single shotgun blast at himself from the driver’s side window of the Audi.

Vinny sustained catastrophic injuries to the left side of his chest, but was able to jump over a garden fence before collapsing. Mr Humphries was sprayed with shotgun pellets but survived with relatively minor injuries.

Luke Kendrick and Ryan Bate were in the Audi and are about to serve life in prison after being convicted of murder in 2016, but detectives believe a third man was in the vehicle. It is unclear which of the three fired the fatal shot and the murder weapon was never recovered.