Ross Monaghan The Life, Crimes, and Assassination of the Glasgow Gangster

Few names have dominated Scottish crime headlines in the past year quite like Ross Monaghan. Once a shadowy figure on the fringes of Glasgow’s underworld, his violent death on a Spanish beachfront thrust his name into international news cycles. This article looks at who he was, the criminal reputation that followed him for decades, and the events that ultimately led to his murder.

Quick Facts: Ross Monaghan Biography Table

Who Is Ross Monaghan?

Ross Monaghan was a Glasgow-born man whose name became synonymous with the city’s long-running gangland feuds. For years, he was linked—though never convicted—to some of the most notorious organised crime activity in the west of Scotland. His story is one that true crime followers and Scottish news readers have tracked closely, particularly given his connection to one of the country’s most talked-about unsolved murder cases.

Ross Monaghan Glasgow Roots and Criminal Reputation

Long before his name made international headlines, Monaghan was already a known figure within Glasgow’s organised crime scene. He was closely associated with the Lyons crime family, one side of a bitter, decades-long rivalry with the Daniel family that has shaped much of Glasgow’s gang history.

His most high-profile brush with the law came in connection with the killing of Kevin “Gerbil” Carroll, a prominent Glasgow criminal who was shot dead in an Asda car park in 2010 amid the Lyons-Daniel feud. Monaghan was later charged with Carroll’s murder and with disposing of evidence, but he was acquitted in 2012 due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The case remained one of the most scrutinised in recent Scottish criminal history, and it cemented Monaghan’s reputation—fairly or not—as a man operating at the centre of the city’s underworld tensions.

In 2017, Monaghan was injured in a shooting outside a primary school in the Penilee area of Glasgow, an attack that underlined how exposed he had become amid the ongoing feud. Not long afterward, he relocated abroad, settling on Spain’s Costa del Sol—a well-known destination for British expats, including a number of individuals connected to UK organised crime networks.

Life on the Costa del Sol

Once in Spain, Monaghan didn’t disappear entirely from public life. He became the sole director of Costa Shop and Drop, an online grocery business catering to British expats craving home comforts like square sausage and Irn Bru. Registered in February 2021 near Malaga airport, the business advertised heavily on social media with the tagline “Craving Your Favourite British Food?”

Despite operating for several years, company records reportedly show the firm failed to file annual tax returns since its launch, drawing scrutiny from company registrars. Still, for a time, Monaghan appeared to be building a quieter, business-focused life away from Glasgow’s more turbulent gang politics—running Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola alongside his grocery venture.

The Ross Monaghan Shooting: What Happened

The event that brought Monaghan back into the headlines—tragically for the final time—was the Ross Monaghan shooting on May 31, 2025. That evening, Monaghan and long-time associate Eddie Lyons Jr were at Monaghans Bar on Fuengirola’s beachfront, watching the Champions League final with friends.

Just before midnight, a hooded gunman approached and opened fire. Lyons Jr was shot once outside the bar and died from his injuries. CCTV footage showed the attacker pursuing Monaghan inside the pub, firing additional shots before fleeing on foot. Monaghan was struck in the chest and later died from his wounds. A nurse who happened to be nearby rushed to help, later describing the harrowing scene to reporters, including Monaghan’s laboured breathing as he lay on the terrace floor.

Witnesses in the area described chaos as families and tourists ducked for cover, mistaking the initial shots for fireworks before realising what was actually happening.

Spanish police quickly identified the killings as a targeted “settling of scores” connected to drug trafficking rivalries rather than a random attack. Investigators noted that Monaghan and Lyons Jr were both linked to the Lyons crime family, longtime rivals of the Daniel organisation.

The Investigation and Arrest

Weeks after the shooting, a 44-year-old man named Michael Riley was arrested in Liverpool at the request of Spanish authorities. He initially opposed extradition, citing fears for his safety in a Spanish prison, but later consented to be transferred. He was flown to Madrid and remanded in custody to await trial. Spanish police described him as connected to the Daniel crime group, framing the killings as part of the ongoing feud between the two rival Glasgow factions—a conflict that had, by this point, spread well beyond Scotland’s borders.

Scottish detectives assisted their Spanish counterparts throughout the investigation, providing background intelligence on both victims given their long criminal histories in Glasgow.

Ross Monaghan Funeral and Aftermath

The Ross Monaghan funeral took place in July 2025 as part of a joint double funeral alongside Eddie Lyons Jr, held in Glasgow following their cremation. The service drew significant attention—not just for its scale, but for the tension surrounding it. Reports emerged of an online message warning that mourners could face reprisals, with blame directed at a Dubai-based figure connected to the rival faction. Police Scotland monitored the funeral closely amid concerns that the simmering feud could escalate further.

In the aftermath, Monaghans Bar itself was reportedly stripped of signage bearing his name within weeks of the shooting, effectively erasing his presence from the site where he was killed.

Ross Monaghan Wife and Family Life

Public reporting on Ross Monaghan wife and immediate family has remained limited, as is often the case with individuals connected to organised crime who tend to keep personal relationships out of the press. What has been consistently reported is that Monaghan was a father of two, and friends and associates have described him in interviews as a family man away from his criminal associations. No further verified details about a spouse have been published by mainstream outlets at this time.

Why the Ross Monaghan Story Still Matters

Beyond the shock of the shooting itself, Monaghan’s death highlights a bigger, more troubling pattern: Scottish organised crime rivalries increasingly playing out on foreign soil. The Lyons-Daniel feud, which has simmered for around 25 years, has now claimed lives not just in Glasgow but on Spain’s Costa del Sol—a location long favoured by British criminals seeking distance from UK law enforcement.

For true crime followers and Scottish news audiences alike, the case remains a stark reminder of how deeply entrenched—and how far-reaching—gangland conflict can become.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Ross Monaghan?
He was a Glasgow man long linked to the city’s organised crime scene, notably acquitted in the 2012 trial connected to the murder of Kevin “Gerbil” Carroll.

How did Ross Monaghan die?
He was fatally shot inside his own bar in Fuengirola, Spain, on May 31, 2025, alongside associate Eddie Lyons Jr.

What business did Ross Monaghan run in Spain?
He operated Costa Shop and Drop, an online grocery delivery service for British expats, and ran Monaghans Bar in Fuengirola.

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