A fugitive murder suspect is set to be extradited from Venezuela to face trial over the fatal stabbing of a teenager, the Echo can reveal.

Allcie Houlder, 23, fled the UK following the death of Nico Ramsay, 19, who was attacked in Queens Road, Southend, on February 13 last year.

Houlder was arrested in the troubled South American country in November but UK authorities had to fight a legal battle to get him back because there is no extradition treaty.

The Echo obtained details of the case using Freedom of Information laws after Essex Police refused to comment on the matter.

The force announced in November that Houlder had been detained in Venezuela after an operation carried out with the National Crime Agency.

But when the Echo asked about the status of the case in March and whether Houlder remained in custody, a spokesman said: “When there is an update we will be releasing it.”

A spokesman for the Foreign Office would only say “consular assistance” was being provided while the crime agency referred inquiries back to Essex Police.

In July, we made a Freedom of Information request to again ask about the progress of the case.

The request was refused on the grounds that information about Houlder constituted “personal data”, but we successfully appealed by arguing the case had been put in the public domain by Essex Police.

Echo: Wanted- Allcie Houlder

Allcie Houlder

In a decision, Andy Begent, head of information management, said the refusal was “inappropriate” and suggested Houlder will be brought back to the UK amid high security over fears he may attempt to escape.

He said: “Essex Police did not attend any hearings in Venezuela and neither did the Crown Prosecution Service. I can also confirm that the request was successful and that the Venezuelan Court ordered extradition on July 3, 2017.

“No further details around the extradition can be released at this stage due to such disclosure into the public domain increasing the potential prejudice to the police investigation- this prejudice would encompass escalation of the risk of escape by Mr Houlder and harm to those individuals associated with his confinement.”

Charges will be revealed when Houlder returns.

Echo:

Nathan Sylvester (left) and Troy Lewis

NICO Ramsay’s brazen murder in front of horrified shoppers was captured in full on CCTV.

Footage played repeatedly to jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court showed Troy Lewis, 21, and Nathan Sylvester, 25, punching, kicking and dragging the 19-year-old across the ground close to Southend town centre.

A third man, who police believe is Allcie Houlder, plunged a knife into Nico’s chest before throwing it into an alleyway in nearby Napier Avenue.
Nico died four days later in hospital.

The motive is unknown but there was bad blood between gang leader Sylvester and Nico.

Drug dealers Lewis and Sylvester were jailed for a total of 48 years after being found guilty of murder, but the knifeman is still on the loose.

CCTV footage played at the trial showed Houlder arriving at his girlfriend’s home in York Road just minutes after the attack.

Elisha Francois, then 25 and herself a convicted killer, was later jailed for lying to police.

She provided a fake description of a man who she said stopped her in the street after the incident and demanded to use her phone.

Francois had in fact allowed Houlder to borrow the device earlier that day. The disinformation allowed him to hide first at his parent’s home in London and then to board a ferry to France.