Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH woman is pleading for Mallorcans who might know her twin brother’s alleged killer to come forward.
Shirley Rice’s brother, David ‘Noddy’ Rice, was shot nine times while sitting in his car at South Shields’ Marsden Grotto near the UK’s Newcastle in May 2006.
Police believe Allan Foster fired the fatal shots before fleeing to Spain, where to this day he has not been traced.
He is known to use the alias Shaun Michael Wilkinson and remains one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives.
Noddy, 42, and Foster, were friends before the execution-style killing, leading many to believe the murder was due to a drugs debt or criminal vendetta.
But Shirley, 52, insists it was a petty argument that got way out of hand.
“Everyone thinks Noddy was killed because of a drugs debt,” she said. “But I think it was over something trivial. I sometimes think that if Noddy had been murdered over drugs or money I would still be devastated, but maybe I would have thought that that was the life he chose. But to think it was over something petty is just heart-breaking.”
She added: “My brother was an absolute character, he was very loving and was always cracking jokes – that’s what I miss most about him, his sense of humour. He used to phone me three or four times every day, we were very close.
“Everyday I think about where he (Foster) is. Is he dead, is he alive? If anyone has any information please come forward and help our family get some closure.”
Allan Foster – who has known links to Mallorca and the Canary Islands – is described as being around 5ft 8ins, with a slim build and cropped black hair.
The National Crime Agency warn people not to approach him and ask anyone with information to call Crimestoppers in the UK on 0800 555 111.
