THREE North Wales detectives were praised for their role in catching the murderers of holiday-home hunters Anthony and Linda O'Malley.

The 'dogged determination' of the O'Malley family and 'unorthodox' investigation by the North Wales officers, played a vital part in putting two brutal Venezuelan murderers behind bars for more than 100 years.

North East Wales coroner John Hughes will write to North Wales

Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom praising Detective Superintendent Alan Jones, Detective Sergeant Steve Lloyd and DC Dave James and telling him their work was 'in the highest tradition' of the police service and that they were a credit to themselves and the force.

The inquest into the deaths of Anthony O'Malley, 42, and wife Linda, 56, from Market Street, Llangollen, at Alcoy in southern Spain in 2002, was the final chapter in the desperately sad story of a happily mar-

ried couple who flew to Spain to try and buy a home in the sun for retirement.

The Flint inquest heard how they were conned into looking at a villa in Alcoy by two Venezuelans, Jorge Real Sierra, 56, and brother-in-law Jose Antonio Velazquez, 41.

While Mrs O'Malley was held captive in the basement, Mr O'Malley was forced to go on a frenzied spending spree which ended when £18,000 - transferred to buy a home - was drained from their bank account and

the pair's credit cards were spent up to their limits. The couple were then murdered.

Mr Hughes said they had died between September 2002 and March 2003 at Alcoy and according to Home Office pathologist Dr Bryan Rodgers both deaths were 'consistent with asphyxiation'.

Both were discovered with plastic bags taped over their heads.

He recorded a verdict of unlawful killing on both.