Greg Monks' family hope to bring body home from Portugal 'this week'
Greg, 38, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, vanished in Albufeira almost two weeks ago on the first night of a stag do trip to the Algarve.
The family of tragic Scots tourist Greg Monks are hoping to bring his body home this week after he plummeted to his death i n Portugal.
Greg, 38, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, vanished in Albufeira almost two weeks ago while on the first night of a stag do trip to Albufeira in the Algarve. He was last seen in the early hours of May 28 on CCTV cameras, four miles away from the famous club strip where he partied with his mates hours before.
A major search was launched by police, with his worried family family also flying out to Portugal in a desperate bid to find him. Sadly, after almost a full week of searching, Greg's body was discovered at the bottom of a ravine on Wednesday, June 5.
Greg's mum, girlfriend Nicole and cousin face a heartbreaking journey back to Scotland without him with the repatriation process set to take several days.
Devastated sister Jillian Monks, who stayed at home with her two young children during the search, has told how the family "have closure" as they plan to bring Greg home.
In an update, Jillian told the Record: 'We're hoping to bring Greg home by the weekend.
'His mum, girlfriend and cousin are going to fly home tonight. They wanted to fly back with him but it has just not been possible.
'It has been the toughest time of our lives. We still can't believe what has happened.
'But we're glad we now have some sense of closure. I don't know if any of us could have coped with even another day searching for my brother.
'We couldn't eat, we couldn't sleep. It was absolute torture.
'To know Greg has been found is a slight relief. We can now bring him home and give him the send off he deserves.'
Police found Greg's body near the quiet residential area of Cerro de Aguia, where he was last sighted. Sniffer dogs were sent to the area after a nearby homeowner sent fresh CCTV which showed Greg attempting to climb a fence before he suffered a fatal fall.
Jillian says the family believe that Greg came to no harm.
She said: "We don't believe that anything untoward happened. Everything the police have told us adds up.
"We'll never truly know the full story. But we believe he just got lost and ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"It brings us some comfort knowing that Greg all had his belongings on him. He wasn't robbed, he still had his phone and his wallet, he had all his cards and cash."
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Jillian hopes Greg's story can serve as a warning for revellers heading out to popular party destinations like Albufeira.
She said: "I think it just shows in places like Albufeira everyone needs to stick together and look after each other. His pals are absolutely devastated at what happened.
"Before everyone left the hotel that night Greg made sure they all had a business card and a map from the hotel to help them find their way home.
"That is the kind of person he was. He was just looking after everyone else. He was so considerate."
Jillian has shared her family's anger over how they were informed of Greg's death with local press in Portugal sharing the news just as they arrived to a police station to meet with officers.
Jillian said: "I knew Greg had been found before my mum and dad were told officially by police in Portugal.
"They were waiting in a police station to meet with officers when their phones went with notifications to say Greg had been found.
"It is shocking that this was allowed to happen."
An online Go Fund Me was launched to initially search for Greg.
Almost £34,000 has been raised which Jillian says will cover the cost of bringing him home and planning his funeral.
She said: "The generosity and support has been incredible. We are grateful to everyone who helped look for Greg and those who have donated to bring him back home."
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