Spain drops extradition case against Irishman

An Irish man who was being held in custody while Spanish police sought his extradition in connection with the death of his wife…

An Irish man who was being held in custody while Spanish police sought his extradition in connection with the death of his wife on holiday nearly two years ago has been released.

Michael Dermot McArdle, 32, was freed from Cloverhill Remand Prison in Dublin late last night when the Spanish authorities withdrew their request, the Prison Service confirmed.

Spain had initially called for Mr McArdle's extradition as part of the investigation into the death of his wife Kelly-Anne.

She fell to her death from a fourth floor hotel balcony on the Costa del Sol in February last year.

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A Prison Service spokesman said today: "The Spanish authorities withdrew the request to extradite him and we released him from Cloverhill Remand Prison. We have no reason to continue detaining him."

No reason has yet been given for the Spanish move.

Hours before the decision yesterday, Mr McArdle, of Haggardstown, Dundalk, had appeared before Cloverhill District Court where he was remanded in custody for a week.

Police in Spain have been investigating the death of the 28-year-old mother-of-two, which was initially thought to be an accident.

Kelly-Anne lived in Wheaton Hall, Drogheda, with Mr McArdle at the time of her death.