British doctor is arrested over murder of model whose body was found in suitcase – after he claimed to be innocent saying he was watching England in World Cup at the time

A British doctor, wanted by the police in connection with the murder of a model found in a suitcase in an apartment in Colombia, has been arrested.

The body of Natalia Villalba Angarita, a 36-year-old model from the northern Colombian city of Cúcuta, was found by cleaning staff who entered the property in the capital Bogota after her lease expired on June 22.

They found the victim’s remains hidden in a gray bag in the bathroom, where the shower was still on.

Matthew Foster-Smith, 46, of Poole, Dorset, made a speech earlier this week to protest his innocence and claimed he was watching England’s match against Croatia at the time of the murder.

However, police arrested the British national, who fled to Quito in neighboring Ecuador, in connection with the murder. He was detained at Quito International Airport.

Foster-Smith, who had previously been convicted of stalking, was handcuffed yesterday afternoon local time.

A well-placed source told the Colombian press: ‘He was trying to buy a ticket to Europe and was apparently located thanks to phone calls he made from there.’

The aggravated femicide charge Foster-Smith faces carries a prison sentence of 40 to 50 years in Colombia.

Matthew Foster-Smith, 46, of Poole, Dorset, was arrested over the model’s murder. A person with a previous criminal record for harassment in the United Kingdom

Local reports said the convicted stalker was released on leave from a UK prison in January this year after serving time behind bars for his second offence.

An Interpol source claimed UK authorities did not issue any arrest warrant despite him breaching orders to maintain regular police contact as part of his conditions of release from prison, saying: ‘There was no active arrest warrant for him at the time.

‘Therefore, there were no restrictions preventing him from entering Colombia.’

Foster-Smith contacted Thursday Sun He claimed he had nothing to do with the murder and that he had gone to an Irish pub that evening.

He said: ‘It wasn’t me. I was watching England.

‘After the match I went to the mall, walked around, got an ice cream and came back for the next matches.

‘I didn’t leave with anyone and went to bed by myself around 23:00 local time.’

The British doctor sent as evidence a photo of himself watching Harry Kane score a ninth-minute penalty during the match while drinking and eating a burger in a bar.

It is understood the England match kicks off at around 3pm local time in Bogota on 17 June.

Police believe the murder occurred between 11.30am and 5.30pm the next day, June 18.

Authorities are understood to be trying to locate CCTV footage to identify the bar where Foster-Smith claimed to have watched the England-Croatia match.

Reacting to the news of the arrest made overnight in X, Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galan announced that Dorset Police had assisted and said: ‘The man believed to be responsible for the murder of Natalia Villalba was caught in Ecuador.

‘A task force consisting of @fiscaliacol and Bogotá Regional CTI, @MigracionCol Regional Andina, @seguridadbog, @seguridadequito, @PoliciaEcuador Interpol, Ecuador Immigration Service and @dorsetpolice this week managed to locate Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, who is believed to be responsible for the murder of Natalia Villalba on June 18.

‘Yesterday afternoon, after an arrest warrant was issued by a judge and a Red Notice of international detention was activated, the task force launched an operation to detain him.

‘Thanks to the efforts of Interpol Ecuador, it was successfully completed at Quito International Airport.

‘Cooperation between national and local security and justice institutions, as well as coordination between Security Secretariats in Latin America’s capitals, is a key factor in fighting crime.

‘If you commit a crime in Bogota, you pay the price.’

Laura Tami, head of a regional agency in Bogota tasked with protecting women and ensuring institutional response to cases of gender-based violence and femicide in the city, added: ‘Effective action by all competent institutions in the case of Natalia Villalba Angarita is key to uncovering the truth, ensuring justice is served and strong sanctions are imposed on those responsible.’

Detectives are known to be analyzing the computer found in the dead woman’s rented apartment for possible fingerprints and evidence that could be relevant to the ongoing investigation.

They also claim Foster-Smith was seen on CCTV arriving at the flat on June 17 and leaving the next day.

The footage shows her taking the sheets to a laundry room inside the building.

It is believed that the foreign men Natalia came into contact with found her details through social media sites where she shared photos of herself taken by a professional photographer.

Foster-Smith hit UK headlines in October 2020 when she was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stalking her first victim.

He denied all allegations against him when he was arrested in June of the same year, but later pleaded guilty.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard he followed his ex-partner by going to the same gym despite a no-harassment order and ‘made sure he was seen’ by his victim for a ‘long period’.

He also created Instagram accounts where he posted explicit images of his victims, and after the end of a short-lived new relationship he texted a friend to threaten women with an axe, adding: ‘If I’m going to get screwed, make it worth it.’

His friend reported the messages to the police.

Detective Constable Thomas Norman, of Bournemouth CID, said after the second stalking conviction: ‘The defendant’s conduct had an extremely significant impact on the victim’s life.

‘He continues to live in fear and says these events have ruined his life.

‘It is very important to us that victims of stalking receive the help and support they need; We don’t want anyone to be afraid, distressed or feel threatened.

‘We take stalking seriously and are determined to ensure offenders like Foster-Smith are held accountable for their actions.’

Speaking to Colombia’s respected newspaper El Tiempo earlier this week, Natalia’s mother said: ‘My daughter has been living in Bogota for 17 years.

‘We were talking all the time but he hasn’t responded since last Thursday. ‘He wasn’t answering my calls or receiving my messages.’

Claudia said that she paid weekly for the flat where Natalia was found dead, but planned to move to a different place soon, adding: ‘Her computer was in her room, but her phone is still missing.

‘Natalia told me that she has a company and is working on it. I don’t know exactly what happened and I’m waiting to talk to one of his best friends to tell me more about what he does work-wise.

‘We are at the prosecutor’s office, we are waiting for them to tell us something about the investigation.

They still haven’t delivered the body to us, we will identify it in the coming days.

‘All we want is for the truth to come out.’

Carlos Fernandez Galan spoke Tuesday to confirm that a murder investigation is ongoing.

He said: ‘On Monday the body of Natalia Villalba was found in an apartment in northern Bogota. Preliminary evidence points to a murder.

‘First of all, I would like to express all my feelings of solidarity to his family. I am deeply saddened by what happened.

‘Yesterday, from the first moment the incident was learned, we supported the technical investigation team of the prosecutor’s office to clarify what happened as soon as possible and to ensure the implementation of the law.’

During the examination of the apartment where Natalia was found dead, two passports belonging to the dead woman were found.

One was expired and the other had a stamp inside that allowed police to identify the victim, indicating recent visits to Spain.

Leaving the shower running in the room has been linked to a possible attempt to obstruct the work of pathologists due to the effect of running water on the skin and the ability to hide bruises.

Online reviews on travel sites such as Booking.com for the Morph Chico building state that the building has free Wi-Fi, a terrace, a restaurant and a bar. Apartments range from luxury studios to penthouses with balconies and executive suites.

A luxury studio for two, with a large bed and sofa bed, costs around £90 a night.

Justicia Para Todos (Justice for All in English), a Colombian foundation that helps families of victims of femicide, said before Foster-Smith was arrested: ‘We reject the brutal murder of Natalia Villalba, who was found in an apartment in the north of Bogota on 22 June.

‘Behind every statistic there is a life, a story and a family waiting for answers today.

‘We call on the National Attorney General’s Office to conduct a comprehensive and prompt investigation with a gender perspective.’

This is breaking news, more to come.