The mother of west Belfast man John George said her son became addicted to drugs after he went to prison as a teenager which led him into more criminality.

The 37-year-old father, who was on holiday in Spain, was last in touch with his family on 14 December.

Sharon George, her husband Billy and other son Darren have visited the site where a body, confirmed by Spanish police to be John George, was found 45 minutes south of Alicante where the family had been searching, in a rural town called Rojales.

Mrs George said she and her family “have been living a nightmare for the past three weeks” as they laid flowers at the site.

Spanish police have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of murder and they have been granted a further 72 hours to question him.

On Thursday, the Guardia Civil (Spanish police) confirmed that following DNA testing, the body found in Rojales earlier this week was that of the missing father-of-two.

The cause of death has yet to be released, but Mr George’s father, Billy George, said he had been told by a morgue technician that his son had been shot.

While their last contact with Mr George was on 14 December, the family said they first started to panic when he did not return on his scheduled flight from Spain four days later.

Members of the George family then travelled to Spain to search for him.

They are due to return home to Northern Ireland on Friday.

“People [were] coming on holiday on a plane, and I was coming to find my son’s body,” Sharon George told BBC News NI.

“No mother should ever have to go through what I’m going through. You bring your son into the world and hope for the best,” Mrs George said.

“I’m getting a box home with my child’s body, I’m never going to see his face again.”

Mrs George said her son was a “loving, good father” who loved his family and children “more than life”.

“John never went a day without ringing me and telling me first thing in the morning how much he loved me – last thing at night how much he loved me,” she said.

“I’m bringing him home for his two kids and his brother, sisters, father and all his lifelong friends.”

Mrs George said her son had been a “lovely child” who had done well in boxing, but he had got into trouble which resulted in him going to prison.

She said he had changed after he was released.

“When he came out he was an addict, so then he went into more criminality because he was an addict.”

His younger brother Darren said his family had become stronger.

“I’ll never stand here and say John was an angel, John wasn’t an angel and we’ve been quite open in saying that John had his troubles.

“I knew this was coming, but nobody deserves this no matter what you’re involved in, no family should ever go through this.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over losing him, never,” Mrs George added.

“He was my first baby, and I love all of my children the same but he was just so kind-hearted in his own way.”

Darren George said the family had travelled to where they believed his brother’s body to be found, but was “frustrated” there was no Guardia Civil representative with them.

“As a family coming up here and knowing this is where John’s body was found is devastating,” he said.

Mr George said that he believes that his brother was “killed by hoods with guns”.

“I believe John was a small fish in a big pond and John thought he was a big boy.

“And they just used John for a get-out card and John paid the ultimate price for it.”

Mr George said his family had become stronger.

“I’ll never stand here and say John was an angel, John wasn’t an angel and we’ve been quite open in saying that John had his troubles.

“I knew this was coming, but nobody deserves this no matter what you’re involved in, no family should ever go through this.”