By . Paul Donnelley . A ‘tortured’ corpse washed up on a beach in Spain has been identified as that of missing Briton Francis Brennan. The body of Liverpudlian Francis Brennan who went on the run rather than going to prison for stabbing someone has been found on a Spanish beach . Brennan, 25, from Anfield, Liverpool, was last seen in the Costa del Sol town of Javea on January 24 when he was taken away in handcuffs by men posing as Guardia Civil police. His remains were found last weekend wrapped in a bin bag and duct tape washed up on Orihuela Costa beach in Alicante. It was formally identified by Spanish authorities yesterday. They said the man's hands were tied and that he had a severe head wound while his body was said to be in an ‘advanced state of decomposition’. A waiter who found the body told Spanish newspaper El Mundo: ‘As it was covered we did not know if it was an animal or a person, so we called the police.’ Police believe he may have been tortured and killed. Officers said that the dead man had been in the water for several days, and he was about 10 metres from the water when he was found. Reports from Spain suggested a concrete block had been placed inside the sack to make the body sink, but that this had been dislodged. Brennan fled the UK last October before he could be sent to jail for stabbing someone at a Swedish House Mafia concert in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, in July last year. Two months later, Sophie Staunton, his girlfriend, travelled to Javea, Alicante, to persuade him to come home. He refused and went missing a month later as he left a gym with a friend. When he was 18, Brennan was was convicted of affray after a gang of youths caused trouble outside the Liverpool home of grandfather Jim Barrett who died of a heart attack. Brennan was sent to a young offenders' institute but returned to a life of crime when he lost his job at 21. Scroll down for video . Francis Brennan's remains were found last weekend wrapped in a bin bag and duct tape washed up here on Orihuela Costa beach in Alicante . In February his parents, Carl and Janet, made an appeal for any information and talked about him absconding. 'Running away was a very, very silly decision,' said his mother. 'We tried to to talk him out of it but Francis is very headstrong. He wouldn't listen to us. 'His life was coming together and he didn't want to lose that. He knew he was going to get a bit of time and he wasn't quite ready to do that. You can only advise people so much.' Karl and Janet Brennan, the parents of Francis Brennan, 25, from Liverpool, who went missing while living in Alicante. His dead body was washed ashore in Spain last weekend . A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: ‘We can confirm that a body found on a beach in the La Zenia area of Alicante on Saturday was last night formally identified by the Spanish authorities as Francis Brennan. ‘His parents have been informed of his death and a family liaison officer from Merseyside Police is providing them with support and advice at this difficult time. ‘A live police investigation carried out by the authorities in Spain remains ongoing.’
Francis Brennan, 25, fled the UK after stabbing a man at a pop concert .
Corpse had a severe head wound and was in a bag bound with duct tape .
Body had been in the water for several days and showed signs of torture .
Police said remains in 'advanced state of decomposition'
Girlfriend travelled to Spain to beg him to return to UK; he refused .
By . Paul Donnelley . A ‘tortured’ corpse washed up on a beach in Spain has been identified as that of missing Briton Francis Brennan. The body of Liverpudlian Francis Brennan who went on the run rather than going to prison for stabbing someone has been found on a Spanish beach . Brennan, 25, from Anfield, Liverpool, was last seen in the Costa del Sol town of Javea on January 24 when he was taken away in handcuffs by men posing as Guardia Civil police. His remains were found last weekend wrapped in a bin bag and duct tape washed up on Orihuela Costa beach in Alicante. It was formally identified by Spanish authorities yesterday. They said the man's hands were tied and that he had a severe head wound while his body was said to be in an ‘advanced state of decomposition’. A waiter who found the body told Spanish newspaper El Mundo: ‘As it was covered we did not know if it was an animal or a person, so we called the police.’ Police believe he may have been tortured and killed. Officers said that the dead man had been in the water for several days, and he was about 10 metres from the water when he was found. Reports from Spain suggested a concrete block had been placed inside the sack to make the body sink, but that this had been dislodged. Brennan fled the UK last October before he could be sent to jail for stabbing someone at a Swedish House Mafia concert in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, in July last year. Two months later, Sophie Staunton, his girlfriend, travelled to Javea, Alicante, to persuade him to come home. He refused and went missing a month later as he left a gym with a friend. When he was 18, Brennan was was convicted of affray after a gang of youths caused trouble outside the Liverpool home of grandfather Jim Barrett who died of a heart attack. Brennan was sent to a young offenders' institute but returned to a life of crime when he lost his job at 21. Scroll down for video . Francis Brennan's remains were found last weekend wrapped in a bin bag and duct tape washed up here on Orihuela Costa beach in Alicante . In February his parents, Carl and Janet, made an appeal for any information and talked about him absconding. 'Running away was a very, very silly decision,' said his mother. 'We tried to to talk him out of it but Francis is very headstrong. He wouldn't listen to us. 'His life was coming together and he didn't want to lose that. He knew he was going to get a bit of time and he wasn't quite ready to do that. You can only advise people so much.' Karl and Janet Brennan, the parents of Francis Brennan, 25, from Liverpool, who went missing while living in Alicante. His dead body was washed ashore in Spain last weekend . A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: ‘We can confirm that a body found on a beach in the La Zenia area of Alicante on Saturday was last night formally identified by the Spanish authorities as Francis Brennan. ‘His parents have been informed of his death and a family liaison officer from Merseyside Police is providing them with support and advice at this difficult time. ‘A live police investigation carried out by the authorities in Spain remains ongoing.’
were tied and that he had a severe head wound state of decomposition’. A waiter who found the said that the dead man had been in the water for several days, and he was about 10 metres from the been dislodged. Brennan fled the UK last October someone at a Swedish House Mafia concert in girlfriend, travelled to Javea, Alicante, to Brennan, the parents of Francis Brennan, 25, from