Seven-year manhunt for David Ungi ends when murder suspect is captured

The manhunt to find David Ungi finally ended when the baby-faced murder suspect was captured and arrested in Malaga.

Ungi, who is now 30 years old, was arrested in Coín, Málaga, on Thursday night when he entered the gym of a shopping center. Spanish authorities, the National Crime Agency, Merseyside Police and the North West Regional Organized Crime Unit worked together to apprehend the murder suspect.

Ungi was last seen seven years ago leaving the UK on a ferry less than 24 hours after 18-year-old Vinny Waddington was killed in a street execution. Vinny was shot by a single shotgun blast on Banks Road, Garston, while riding as a passenger on a scrambler bike on July 14, 2015.

READ MORE: Ryan Bate and Luke Kendrick jailed for life for Vinny Waddington murder

Fueled by adrenaline, Vinny was able to jump over a garden fence before collapsing and dying of catastrophic chest injuries, while the rider, Francis Humphries, escaped with his life, albeit bleeding from multiple buckshot wounds. Two men, Luke Kendrick and Ryan Bate, are within striking distance of their life sentences for her murder, with another two decades to go before they have any chance of parole.

But even with two dangerous killers locked away after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Vinny’s family have received only partial justice so far.

vinny’s murder

Emergency services responded to Banks Road in Garston at around 8:45 p.m. on July 14, 2015, following reports of a crash between a gray Audi and a scrambler motorcycle. Once on scene, officers found Vinny in a roadside garden with catastrophic injuries to his chest.

He was taken to Royal Liverpool University Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later. On July 15, police said the shooting was a “cold-blooded targeted attack.”

DCI Gayle Rooney said: “The investigation is in its early stages and full investigations are underway to establish any potential motives and identify those responsible. This was a cold-blooded targeted attack on a residential street that took the life of a young man.

“The people responsible for this attack knew exactly what they were doing. These people must be caught: a young man, who should have lost his life before him, has been murdered and his family is now faced with accepting the loss of him. “

They added that the criminals were believed to have fled towards Blackburn Street or through the industrial estate.

His family described Vinny as “not the type to go out and cause trouble”, and his father said, “When Vincent died, I died with him”.

Ungi seen on CCTV at Dover Ferry Terminal

David Ungi jnr, aged 24 at the time of the shooting, was seen on CCTV cameras just 18 hours after Vinny’s murder. The footage captured him as he leisurely strolled through the Dovery ferry terminal, and it was believed that he had traveled to Amsterdam.

The footage led detectives to believe he might be involved, and Merseyside Police and the National Crime Agency launched a manhunt. The NCA described Ungi as “a very dangerous person” and urged anyone who knew where he was to contact them.

Vinny Waddington murder trial

Ryan Bate and Luke Kendrick were unanimously convicted by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court after denying the murder of Vinny, who was knocked off a scrambler motorcycle and shot in Banks Road on July 14. Bate was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 24 years in prison, while Kendrick received a minimum sentence of 25 years.

In front of a packed public gallery, Judge Timothy Timothy said “we would never know” who was driving the car that hit Vinny and who fired the fatal shot. He said: “No word of mine can express the pain and the feeling of mourning suffered and that his family will continue to suffer due to his untimely death.”

The prosecution said that the fact that the murder was in public and in broad daylight were aggravating features. Prosecutor Nigel Power, QC, said: “Whether this was strictly gang activity or not, acting out of fear of violence needs to be balanced against the overall context here.”

The court heard victim impact statements that described Vinny as “not the type to go out and cause trouble”, while a letter from his university said the 18-year-old was “polite, respectful and intelligent”.

Among the statements read was one from Vinny’s father, who said: “When Vincent died I died with him. When he closes his eyes nightmares come.”

Speaking from the bench, Kendrick said: “I can’t be listening to all this.” When he was led out of court during a break in sentencing, he smiled and gave the victim’s family a thumbs up.

The court was told that Kendrick had 25 prior convictions for 44 crimes and had been released from prison two weeks before the murder. His first conviction, for criminal damages, came when he was just 12 years old.

Bate was a convicted heroin trafficker who was jailed for three years in 2012 for possession of cannabis, heroin and cocaine and also has convictions for criminal damage and drug possession as well as aggravated vehicle theft. That was his first arrest, in 2010.

Defense attorney John McDermott QC, representing Bate, said his client was not “the main driver” in planning Vinny’s death. He asked the judge to “moderate” the sentence as much as possible.

Kendrick’s defense attorney, Charles Miskin, QC, said his client had a “shockingly poor childhood” with “a long and complex history of trauma, substance abuse and disorders.”

He suggested that Kendrick’s personality traits “disrupt every area of ​​his life”.

Ungi finally caught seven years later

David Ungi was captured and detained by the police in Malaga after seven years on the run.

On Thursday, May 6, Ungi was caught entering a gym in a shopping center in Coín, Málaga. Officers found a Ruger 9mm firearm and ammunition in a backpack. Ungi is also wanted in connection with the supply of heroin in the Liverpool area.

The extradition procedure is ongoing after yesterday he appeared before the Malaga court and was placed in preventive detention.

Steve Reynolds, Regional Director of the National Crime Agency in Spain, said: “Ungi is a very dangerous individual and his arrest is good news for communities both in Liverpool and in Spain. These arrests would not have been possible without close cooperation between the police forces of the United Kingdom”. and our law enforcement colleagues in Spain and Portugal.

“There are still several fugitives on our most wanted list, and they need to know that we will never give up and we will never be left behind.”

Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings said: “Merseyside Police continue to be relentless in their pursuit of criminals and will leave no stone unturned. We will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies, both in the UK and abroad. abroad to track down those wanted for carrying out the most serious crimes and bring them to justice.”