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Never forgotten THE UK ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis, made his first official visit to Benidorm for the official Poppy Appeal launch on the Costa Blanca. The Royal British Legion event led off with the traditional parade headed by the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums. Hundreds of people lined the Levante promenade to watch the march-past including ex-sailor Ray Barber, 93, who has lived in Benidorm for four decades. The parade ended in the Rincon de Loix area, which hosted an act of remembrance. It began with three minutes of silence in remembrance of the British service men and women that have fallen in armed conflicts.
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ULTIMATE PRO: Dr Claudio with star Pedri and (ringed) with King after Euros win
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OLIVE PRESS
BIG SIGNING: As we launch an exclusive new column, Spain’s team doctor talks about the keys to keeping the world’s No1 football team in peak fitness as the World Cup looms.. and how you TOO can stay in great shape into your 50s and 60s!!
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October 24th - November 6th 2025
Jávea · Moraira-Benitachell
BARS LOOM FOR JODY Y
Notorious CWM pension scammer loses her appeal against fraud conviction at Valencia High Court
EXPAT fraudster Jody Smart is inching closer to prison after losing an appeal against a fraud conviction. The trickster (pictured) must serve three years and six months for her role in the collapse of pension company Continental Wealth Management (CWM).
Scandal
She has so far managed to avoid jail despite being implicated in the massive €35 million scandal that saw hundreds of mostly British expats in Spain lose large s u m s from their pensions. But the YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR BENISSA, CALPE, MORAIRA fashion designer/ 966 112 428 · areacostablanca.com
wedding planner was finally convicted of fraud at an Alicante court in April. The trial found her guilty of swindling three victims who she must repay €370,000. Her appeal has now been rejected by Valencia’s High Court. “It’s great to have the judgment backed up and she is now just a short hop from prison,” lawyer Carlos Coll Miralles, who represented the vic-
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tims, told the Olive Press. “It is the least she deserves and I’m sad that the case is still rumbling on after all these years. I’ll only be happy when she finally pays my clients in full.” The judge heard how Smart had deliberately defrauded one victim, Tim Benjamin, out of €300,000 for a property that never existed. A second, Sally Anne Hodgson, was duped i n t o lending
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€70,000 to Smart’s firm under false promises of repayment before the company collapsed weeks later. But the most tragic case was that of Mark Davidson, who was scammed out of €800,000, but passed away before the verdict was reached. “She took millions and destroyed many lives, so her sentence is a very small price to pay,” Coll continued.
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Money
Smart now has until October 27 to file an appeal to Madrid’s Supreme Court. “She only has a few days to appeal, but I can’t see a single reason why she should be successful there,” the lawyer said. “Nothing has changed and it’s also going to cost more money which she claims she doesn’t have. He added: “But I’m sure she has hidden a lot of it away in offshore tax havens.” The campaigning lawyer, based in Alicante, continues: “The problem is finding the money. It is hard to embargo things in her name… I can’t find anything. “She’s made things very difficult to chase her for the money and I don’t think she will pay voluntarily.” Smart was not available for comment when contacted by the Olive Press. She earlier told us she was appealing on the grounds that her signature ‘did not appear’ on any of the ‘loans between individuals’. A number of civil cases are also going through the legal system in the Isle of Man.