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INTO THE DEPTHS Discover the secrets of Spain’s first underwater winery
Brit pens graphic novel inspired by grandparents’ involvement in the Spanish Civil War SEE PAGE 12
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Vol. 6 Issue 148
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SCAN here for the latest news January 30th - February 12th 2025
GIVE MY CAR BACK !
AN alleged ‘cowboy mechanic’ has been accused of swindling dozens of expats out of thousands of euros in Spain. Brit Mikey Brierley allegedly faked having to order in parts for repairs while leaving vehicles parked up and untouched for months. The grease-monkey also allegedly used customers’ cars as ‘replacement vehicles’ when other
Thousands of euros go missing as 40-plus expat victims’ cars left broken down for months EXCLUSIVE By Alex Trelinski
clients became stranded on the roadside. Brierly, based on the Costa Blanca, is now being taken to court after 40 alleged victims found each other online.
Conned
Gary Crumb told the Olive Press he was conned out of €3,000 for work which was not completed. “We thought we were the only ones until a woman posted her experience on social media and since then around 40 people have come forward with similar stories,” claimed Gary. “We have all the proof this man has been getting away with ruining people’s lives for years.” Darrell Mills meanwhile added on Facebook: “Brierley has milked our family out of around €2,500 for parts and services that were never needed, ordered nor fitted.
“Over the past three months we have had to spend the same amount of money on car hire. “He kept promising the work is almost done or made excuses like ‘just one more day, a wrong part has come in’, or ‘another garage has caused a problem’.” SCREWED: Brierly When he told (far left) reportedly Brierley in Deleft a family walking cember he could 50 minutes to school no longer afford rental cars after maxing out his ‘emergency’ cred- we have to look after four kids, it card, he claims the mechanic with two being autistic,” said Darrell, who confirmed to the sorted out replacements. However, as he told Named and Olive Press he is now taking BriShamed, Costa Blanca, he ended erly to court. up receiving other people's cars “He knew the pressure of our that he had been working on - some lives with hospital and social worker meetings as well as takof which were ‘unsafe’ to drive. “We’re now down €5,000 and ing the children to school, our car is still sitting in bits while which is a 50 minute walk
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without a car.” Darell concluded: “He has really screwed our lives and I don’t want him doing this to anyone else.” However, the tables are turning against the mechanic after Anita Gaston reported she took Brierley to court last March and was awarded €3,710 in compensation, none of which she has yet received. Meanwhile, Tatch Dickson said that a car taken in for a pre-ITV check was never returned, with a myriad of excuses VALENCIA City clocked its hottest January temgiven. perature in more than 150 years on Monday. It was found a few days Thermometers reached 26.9C beating the previago at an Almoradi gaous best of 26.6C recorded on January 22, 2018. rage with Brierley orState weather forecaster Aemet said figures startdered to take it to a poed being collated in 1869. lice station within two Monday’s temperatures spiked due to a warm days, which he did. westerly wind. 2016 was the warmest January in Valencia with The vehicle had not been an average daily high temperature of 18.5C and serviced and it has been an average low of 10.5C. alleged that he tried to alter its mileage. Dickson has now hired a solicitor to take Brierley areacostablanca.com to court. 966 112 428 The Olive Press has been unable to contact Brierley to get his side of the story including a response to allegations YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR CALPE, made against him.
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Opinion Page 6