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."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Premises hit with two fire attacks in 24 hours as cops appeal for info on SUV
Cops are probing two fires within 24 hours at the same premises in Larkhall. Detectives are appealing for information after two deliberate blazes at the same Larkhall property just 24 hours apart. The first fire broke out at around 11.30pm on Sunday, June 1, at a premises on Union Street. A second incident occurred at the same location the following night around 11.40pm. Police believe the incidents are linked and have launched an investigation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. "We're particularly keen to trace a dark-coloured SUV-style vehicle spotted in the area around the time of the second fire." Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0855 of June 2, 2025. You can also report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault in landmark retrial
Harvey Weinstein now faces fresh prison time after jurors found he forced a woman into a sex act in 2006. Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of one count of sexual assault in his sex crimes retrial. The 73-year-old was acquitted of another, and jurors were as yet unable to reach a verdict on a third charge, reports the Mirror. Weinstein, who denies ever raping or assaulting anyone, sat emotionless in court as the split verdict was delivered. It marks a partial victory for both prosecutors and his defence, as the case continues to divide public opinion He denies sexually assaulting or raping anyone. His initial conviction came five years ago after the landmark #MeToo Movement. However, last year it was overturned. The case went back for a retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse. Now, the jury convicted the former studio boss of forcibly subjecting one to a criminal sex act in 2006. They also acquitted Weinstein of another criminal sex act charge from 2006. The jury remains in deadlock over claims he raped another woman in 2013. Under New York law, the third-degree rape charge carries a less severe penalty than the first-degree criminal sex act offence. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Jurors – seven women and five men – are now in their fifth day of deliberations and earlier today re-heard dramatic testimony from Jessica Mann, who says Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in 2013. She has waived her right to anonymity. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokolo. He insists that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone. His legal team claims the women were ambitious opportunists trying to boost their careers in the movie business. Mann told the court her relationship with Weinstein started consensually but turned abusive. Despite this, it continued for some time. Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of raping her and assaulting Haley, but that conviction was overturned last year due to concerns over how the jury was influenced. Sokola added her accusation last year after New York state's highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial. Weinstein is also appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. All three women in the case have waived their right to anonymity. Weinstein is facing a retrial after New York's highest court overturned his 2020 conviction last year, ruling that prejudicial testimony had unfairly influenced the original outcome. He will be retried on two of the original charges; raping an aspiring actor in a Manhattan hotel in 2013, and forcing oral sex on a production assistant in 2006. A third, unnamed woman also came forward in this retrial with fresh claims. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held at Rikers Island, where his lawyers say he's endured shocking conditions. They've filed a $5 million lawsuit against New York City, claiming "substandard medical care" and unsanitary conditions. If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman flashes obscene gesture as mob forces accused baby killer out of her home
Nicole Blain is set to appear in court next year after she was alleged to have killed her baby daughter by shaking just three weeks after she was born at a flat in Greenock, Inverclyde A woman was seen making an obscene gesture towards a baying mob as an accused baby killer was forced to leave her home. Police have charged Nicole Blain, 29, over the death of three-week-old Thea June Wilson at a property in Greenock, in Inverclyde Scotland, on July 14 2023. Prosecutors have alleged she shook the child and inflicted blunt force trauma by unknown means before her death. She denies the charges, and is set to appear before the court in a trial scheduled for April 2026, but the case has already caught significant local attention, with police called to her home after a baying mob materialised outside her flat. Footage obtained by the Daily Record outside of the flat in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, shows officers guarding the property as people gather outside, with shouts of "get her out" as the crowd grew. Other chants of "get her into the back of the van" and "you are lucky that the cops are here" could be heard as two women emerged from the home. In response, one of the pair could be seen flipping up their middle finger at the crowd as the they were bundled into the back of a police van. The curbside protest followed a local social media campaign in which residents of Johnstone have called for "support" to remove her from the area. Videos showing her being moved from the home have been hailed by supporters of the fervent campaign, which has built up across multiple social media accounts, mainly on Facebook. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said however that the crowd dispersed a short time after officers arrived to collect Blain. A spokesperson for the service said: "Around 7.25pm on Monday, 9 June, 2025, we received a report of a crowd gathered outside a property in Floorsburn Crescent, Johnstone. "Officers attended and the crowd dispersed a short time later." Blain's legal team has pleaded not guilty on her behalf following an initial hearing at Glasgow High Court on May 8, with a special defence of incrimination lodged as the defence and prosecution agreed to said they were prepared for a trial. The case, when it comes before the court next year, is expected to last around six days, and several "professional witnesses" are set to be allowed to provide evidence remotely. A fundraiser was launched in the wake of baby Thea's death in a bid to raise roughly £1,200 for the three-week-old's funeral costs. But the page has since been suspended, with donations no longer allowed.
