MURDERER who was jailed for stabbing his girlfriend to death in Grimsby before going on the run from police for 10 years has been found working as a builder in Spain.

 
Raymond Gunnell, 41, has been arrested by Spanish police using a European Arrest Warrant on Tuesday and is now awaiting extradition to the UK, where he will remain in custody before he faces assault charges.

As reported, a nationwide hunt for Gunnell was launched by Kent Police last year and he appeared on the "most wanted" section of the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

In 1989, he stabbed 19-year-old barmaid Alison Newland 11 times in a house in Stanley Street, Grimsby, while her baby daughter was just metres away.


He was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of her murder in 1990, but was released on a life licence in 1999.

Two years later, he allegedly seriously assaulted a man in a pub in Maidstone, Kent, and had not been seen since.

Speaking exclusively to the Grimsby Telegraph, ex-pat David Ritchie, 69, for whom Gunnell has been working for the last seven years, described his shock at the arrest.

Former building company boss Mr Ritchie knew Gunnell as Ray Mugabe and employed him as a contractor on numerous occasions.

He said: "Ray was always an excellent worker who was impeccably behaved, so I couldn't belive it when he called to say he'd been arrested.

"I never asked anything about his past, I was just pleased to have such a reliable worker.

"Nobody from around here can believe what has happened. What he did to that poor girl was terrible but he's always seemed like a nice guy."

Mr Ritchie only discovered Gunnell's violent past when an internet search yesterday returned court stories from the Grimsby Telegraph's archives.

He contacted the Telegraph yesterday saying he was in "complete shock".

"I drove down to the police station yesterday to see Ray and take some of his belongings," added Mr Ritchie.

"I was shown into a room and he told me he'd got into a fight about 10 years ago and beat a guy up and knowing he was on licence and would go to prison, he did a runner to Europe. I'm still in shock because he was always so pleasant and helping people out.

"There is a lot of sympathy for him among people here because he seems like a nice guy."

Mr Ritchie, who hails from East Yorkshire, moved to the town of Periana, in southern Spain, 12 years ago and founded the building company.

He sold the firm two years ago but had contracted Gunnell to complete some work on his home this Friday.

As reported, during Gunnell's trial, at Nottingham Crown Court, he said he was "blazing mad" after finding out barmaid Miss Newland was sleeping with another man – the father of her daughter, Kaylie.

He told the court she came at him with a knife during a violent argument and he grabbed it off her and stabbed her.

He completed an NVQ in fitness coaching when he was in jail and Mr Ritchie said he believed Gunnell had worked as a personal trainer before moving to Spain.