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How the ‘Garden of the Costa del Sol’ has become Andalucia’s top resort, find out in our 16-page Estepona special inside
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STEPONA is a town undergoing ceaseless transformation. But that’s nothing new. From the day the seafaring nicians first sailed in and Phoelished a colony on the estabcoast nearly 3,000 years Iberian By Walter Finch Costa del Sol resort has ago, the been the subject of change. Africa in the 18th century Be it the Romans, the - it has or the Moors - or the Vandals frequently been in a state of flux. Catholic In the last reconquest or pirate raids 50 years alone it has from gone from being a sleepy fishing
The so-called ‘Garden of the Costa del Sol’ has seen constant change and is now roaring ahead for centuries of its near rivals village, known for its pongs, to becoming one of Spain’s premier upmarket resorts. After a tumultuous history stant change and evolution,of conEsteContinues on next page
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Rental scammer exposed by Olive Press also sold bogus insurance policies EXCLUSIVE By Alberto Lejarraga
scams,” Susan Platt, from Liverpool, told the Olive Press this week. The 69-year-old revealed she only discovered a villa she rented in Marbella was not insured a year after giving De Courcy €600 in cash. “She actually cancelled the Liberty policy the very same day she took the money,” she slammed. “I had no idea it wasn’t valid until a Liberty agent told me she was not working for them and said the policy had been cancelled.” Another victim from Holland, suffered a similar fate.
Was this the spot? Olive Press exclusive reveals the lake camp where police believe suspect Christian Brueckner brought Madeleine McCann
See Ground Zero on page 2
The Mother-of-two and her husband based in Guaro, were given ‘official Caser handwritten receipts’ after paying ‘thousands in cash’ for fully comprehensive car insurance over a number of years. They only discovered their fate when they were involved in a car accident in which the other driver was hospitalised. To their horror they later got a call from the court saying they had to pay €3,000 to the affected party as their vehicle was ‘not insured’. “We could not believe it,” she said. “It was only then we realised we had been driving uninsured for years. And even with two kids in the car!”. She added: “It was a horrible time but when I went to talk to Juliette and demanded she give me €3,000 she said she would sort it all out, but never did.” Eventually, they took De Courcy to court and, this month, after 10 long years they finally learnt they will be getting their money back. Under the settlement, De Courcy and husband, David Withey, were found guilty of ‘misappropriation’ and handed prison sentences, according to Olive Press legal sources. “While Withey tried to take the blame, the court did not buy it and sentenced both to two years in prison, suspended over the next five years,” said their lawyer.
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TIMELESS GLAMOUR: Grace Kelly and Hugh Grant, while yoga class on the beach today
S
WIRLING a glass of flinty French rose, he looked every bit the suave English gentleman you’d expect of Hugh Grant. Holding court with a group of friends on a warm early summer evening, hardly anyone batted an eyelid. It was early June, after all, and Marbella was at its very finest; the scent of orange blossom in the air, the bougainvillaea in full bloom, candles on every table. There was so much else for the throngs of tourists to be taking in. At the request of the restaurant owner I took a quick snap (left) of the Hollywood star on my iPhone, but declined to interrupt his convivial terrace bonhomie. Grant’s regular trips to Marbella have sparked rumours over the years that he owns a house in the resort, in par-
ticular, in the luxury hillside enclave of La Zagaleta. But, when I was actually introduced to him recently in London, the Notting Hill star told me it was ‘merely a good marketing tool for local estate agents’. He certainly loves the place, he explained, but mostly he’s down, these days, on business or to film. It perfectly summed up the resort, which has rightfully earned the reputation of being southern Spain’s playground for the rich and famous. Full of tycoons, movers and shakers and, increasingly, tech billionaires, Marbella manages to remain Europe’s top location for a spot of business, alongside Continues on page 2
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ACCUSED: Juliette De Courcy and the ‘palace’ she allegedly rented, while (inset) our 2015 probe
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EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell
June 11th - June 24th 2015
Vol. 9 Issue 215 www.theolivepress.es
Rockstar Rick Parfitt and wife Lyndsay call in police after losing thousands in Swiss kitchenware con
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lost thousands to ROCKED: Rick and Lyndsay Parfitt Costa conmen to price as they can’t transport it back Switzerland. Diaz has reached an “It is all very believable,” Lyndsay SUSANA
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
added. “They show you some genuine given car Having taken their photo and for a gear while you are seated in your you. police their details, she is hoping and then start throwing deals at boxes quick conviction. “When they start loading the looks for it,” fit“I cannot believe that we both fell into the boot of your car it all Press. ness instructor Lyndsay told the Olive so it legitimate. you “Neither of us are stupid or gulliblethese “It is only when you get home that just goes to show how professional realise you’ve bought a lot of cheap guys are. rubbish.” and drive “They are dressed in slick suits be from Always on the lookout for a bargain, luxury BMWs and claim to in the Parfitts married in Gibraltar Switzerland. act, 2006 in a £46 ceremony. “They are very good at their be They now split their time in Spain so it is vital that people must el between properties in Alhaurin warned about them.” Grande and Marbella. The con involves the two ‘businessmen’ approaching their ‘target’ while they are in
Junta pact
agreement with Ciudadanos to claim her second term as president of the Andalucian Junta. The PSOE pact with Ciudadanos leader Juan Marin was concluded with the signing of three documents regarding 72 policy points. The coalition is based on an anti-corruption agreement, and Ciudadanos has told supporters against the pact that it will not merely ‘watch and listen’. Election latest- Page 4
Did OP chief reporter Tom Powell charm TOWIE star Chloe Lewis in Marbella...?
a stationary car, usually in a car park, Lyndsay explained. From there they claim to have leftover stock from a nearby exhibition, which they are willing to sell for a cut-
Find out in our 28-page Marbella supplement. Pages 19-46
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She also believes there are many other victims including a German friend, who had to move home, plus a Swedish couple. “And there was another British friend of ours who went to claim after an accident only to be told by Caser she was not insured.” De Courcy declined to comment and simply replied ‘goodbye’ and hung up, when called. While Caser failed to comment, Liberty confirmed Withey had indeed tricked customers. A spokesman explained CAR she had got away with it HIRE UK as she was collaborating with one of Liberty’s forUK Self Drive mer agents, who was lat£135 per week er sacked for ‘embezzling Fully inclusive money’. No hidden extras “It must have been through Delivery & Collection this collaboration that she Gatwick Airport Only had access to our office,” he said. Tel: 044 1293 432155
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ONE of the conmen who Parfitt out of thousands duped UK rock legend Rick come forward with fresh information erating under the name of euros is a Dutchman op- previously conned hundreds of peopleon the pair, who ‘Frederick Rooze’, it can revealed. be Holland. in Belgium and The fraudster, who hoodwinked Status Quo guitarist One, Dutch expat Patricia Stone, was tricked out of €2,930 for two buying €2,650 worth into sets of pots and pans, of kitchenware in Sotogrande. a dark blue Range Rover drives Sport with Dutch number “I am disgusted with myself that I didn’t plates (4-ZJP-33). spot it was a fake,” Stone told the Olive Press. Masquerading as a salesman for leading Swiss kitch- “Rooze presented himself as a legitimate enwear company Kuhn salesmen. He was very well dressed, late 30s with the most and an accomplice, also Rikon, he amazing believed to blue eyes.” be Dutch, claim they A Kuhn Rikon spokesman with ‘overstock’ after have been left a local exhibiPress, it was now working told the Olive tion. police to clamp down on with Spanish Insisting the goods are “Many customers have the fraud. finery’, they are in fact‘luxury Swiss cheap, poor help because they have asked for our quality junk, as we revealed bought fraudulent products thinking last issue (left). they were acquiring our merchandise,” Now dozens of new said victims have spokesman Wolfgang very damaging to our Aufwarter. “It is CON’S image.”
Ctra. Fuengirola-Mijas, Km.
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June 25th - July 9th
AWOL from Alhaurin
trading’, leaving holidayproperty. makers thousands of have out of pocket and witheuros Despite their six dogs mak- tugal homes in France, Porand England, I suspect no- ing a lot of noise where to stay. in grounds and a van beingthe they will leave Spain sharpWhen the Olive Press in ish.” ited their gated villa - vis- evidence, a neighbour told She out with cameras and fitted the Olive Press, that the pair son, added: “For now, their metre private drive a 600 had fled to Murcia, where is who is in his early 30s, - no- Mark’s mother lives. looking after their body was at home, despite six dogs and eight cats.” a “The couple fled in a source saying that the hurry, Meanwhile an army of ple’s son is looking aftercou- initially to Murcia,” the scammed the neighbour said. “But holiday-makers as they are compiling a dossier of
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AN embattled Costa media group is being sued by one of Andalucia’s biggest printing firms. Sunsearch Media, run by Stan Israel, is being chased for the Parfitt has been non-payment of €8,000 dat- ROCK legend Rick after conned out of thousands of euros ing back to 2013. trick. Tecnographic, in Sevilla, falling for an age-old guitarist and vocalist printed Perfect Homes, one The Status Quo buying ‘luxury’ pots, of a range of large, glossy was duped into for €1,465 from a pair magazines produced by his pans and cutlery salesof slick conmen posing as Swiss group. Israel, 53, launched a new men in Guadalmina. 66-year-old British company in 2014, called Sim- It was only when the his Marbella mansion ply Media Group, whose cli- rocker returned to had been sold a dud. ents allegedly include Louis that he realised he Swiss finery’, it soon Vuitton, Bulgari and even Instead of ‘luxury he had acquired ‘a popstar Lady Gaga’s perfume. became apparent that ‘made in China’ load of old tosh’ with inscribed on the base of the pans. Debt And if that wasn’t bad enough, When confronted last night, Parfitt’s wife Lyndsay was dog-lover Israel - who drives ALSO tricked by the same a Range Rover - initially fraudsters completely by coclaimed to have nothing to do incidence. with Sunsearch, claiming it Approached separately in was sold last year to someone Nueva Andalucia, two days who ended up ‘not paying’. before, Lyndsay handed But he then admitted he was over the same amount as still a ‘shareholder’. her husband, leaving the Either way, Tecnographic is Parfitts €2,930 down with still fighting for the €8,000 nothing to show for it. payment, and has taken Is- The pair have now called in the rael to court in Sevilla over police, after Lyndsay amazthe debt. ingly then met the same men While insisting it had won a in IKEA’s car park in Malaga a week later. to Page 2
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A BRITISH couple scammed more than who EXCLUSIVE 100 Costa-bound By Tom Powell & tourists have fled their luxury Rob Horgan haurin el Grande villa Aland are hiding out in Murcia. But, the owners of Rain- include Status Quo star Rick Parfitt, to ‘lie low’ in Murcia bow Villas, Mark and chelle Stafford, have Mi- - it can be revealed. fled The pair are the high-security propnow being erty - whose neighbours probed by police after their company suddenly ‘ceased
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AN EXPAT whistleblower nounced a pair of holiday who deBienvenidos al Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, una experiencia scammers única, un mundo aparte que les ofrece las comodidades que a decade ago has been espera de un pequeño gran hotel accused of the Welcome to the Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, a unique experience, exact same fraud. a world apart that offers the a menities you expect from a small grand hotel Juliette De Courcy Withey, based in Malaga, is being taken €70,000 she allegedly to court over owner of a luxury 15-bed owes to the Withey, from Guernsey, villa. allegedly fac- same crime. es seven years prison over the claims She went The Spanish lawyer, that she illegally rented public claiming fellow ex- told the Olive Press from Barcelona, real surprise at the claims. ry home in Benahavis. the huge luxu- pats Mark and Michelle Stafford that Withey had had been managing been renting out properties The allegations relate the property since “She was legally working for the prop- includ- helping to to a ing the €2,800-a-night palace expose the original scam erty so it was not suspicious at all. that was once did not Benahavis palace - that they in 2015. There were even times owned by a Saudi Prince. own, collecting to her clients and they when I spoke from unsuspecting clients. thousands But, he claims she has been Withey, who lives in the said she was ‘illegal- a lovely woman Guadalhorce In what ly renting’ out Valley, allegedly pocketed and became known as the ‘Rain- - once owned the 1,700 m2 palace time at the house,” they had a great the rental bow Villas income from the home she explained. by scam’, the Olive Press re- bia Minister of former Saudi Ara- The problem was, while rather than giving it to in Benahavis vealed how more than 100 tourists the clients fell dul-Aziz Saud Defence, Prince Ab- may have been victim to the couple, based The owner, Vicente the owner. Gonzalez, has Alhaurin. nearby in up to 31 people.- which is able to house actual owner, having a nice time, the filed a complaint at Marbella Gonzalez, claims he had no court In a shocking claiming Withey pocketed fraud, leading to the He told the Olive Press Withey was ‘in It idea about them. was in 2019, when he charge of the bookings’ although he told the Olive €68,000, Staffords arrest, many lost thousands was ly-British clients made and the most- documentation by a rental handed believes ‘thousands more’ Press he when their bookings were cancelled agency, is missing the last moment. at one a deposit to secure two payments, that he discovered multiple in cash payments. 30 days before arrival. it and another for the rest of that year as bookings Some of the It is the most ironic twist well as for then, that arrived for most unfortunate clients In court papers, 2020 and 2021. Withey, 65, had herself their dream holiday seen by the complaint against her filed an official someone else living in the to find Press, he claims Withey wouldOlive property clients for former boss- they had the second payment toask Prison es eight Ironically,booked. be transferred to years ago, with the Withey - who had worked be given to herher bank account or to “It’s really important to expose Withey’s behaviour so claiming home in Staffords from their palatial Court papers in cash. that she does claim that Withey not scam any the exact cused in Alhaurin - has now been ac- sometimes other people,” Gonzalez rented the a lawsuit by Gonzalez, 61. conflicting clients at the property to insisted this week. “She has had over same time, a year cancelling one of the nothing.to pay me back and has paid clients, but still pocket- “I don’t want her to go to prison, ing the money, similar she needs but to pay soon or that is what to the Rainbow Villas will happen.” scam. According to the lawyer, Withey could A source has told the face a Olive Press that Withey and sixprison sentence of seven years months for misappropriation hooked clients through and fraud, if found guilty. network of social mediaa When sites such as Booking. Witheycontacted by the Olive Press, refused to speak, adding: com and rental websites. “You But the source, a Brit- have need to speak to my lawyer. I nothing to say. He will ish owner of a Marbella you. He contact will explain.” He hadn’t rental company Withey time by the See page 5 we went to press. used to advertise the palace with, expressed Opinion Page 6
Meanwhile, two other expats Gill and Glyn Williams, from Kent, recently discovered from Caser that their car had been uninsured for the entire period they had paid De Courcy. “We were very lucky we had no accidents,” said Gill this week.
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AN expat who the Olive Press exposed as a holiday rental fraudster also took money for fake insurance policies. Juliette de Courcy Withey allegedly scammed dozens of expats while working as an agent for one of Spain’s leading insurance companies. We can reveal how the Malaga-based resident allegedly pocketed thousands of euros she was meant to hand over for insurance policies at Caser Seguros. De Courcy, from Guaro, scammed clients by selling them invalid house and car insurance policies, having befriended them locally. The expat - who is currently being prosecuted over a bogus rental scheme - has allegedly been up to her antics for the last two decades. “It’s about time she paid for her
The
THERE has been no change at the top along the Costa del Sol during local elections. Only Benalmadena ousted its socialist mayor Victor Navas, in favour of Juan Antonio Lara, whose PP party took 13 seats. In Marbella, Angeles Munoz kept an overall majority with 14 seats, while Estepona dynamo Jose Garcia Urbano snared a staggering 70% of the vote. There was also a landslide victory in Torremolinos where the PPs Margarita del Cid grabbed a stunning 17 seats for the PP. Meanwhile, in Fuengirola, the PP’s Ana Mula has held on for another four years, while in Nerja Jose Armijo won again for the fifth time. There was both joy and surprise in Malaga as 80-year-old Paco de la Torre regained the absolute majority he lost in 2015. The only towns bucking the trend to the right were Manilva and Mijas, where Josele Gonzalez’s socialists got two more seats. In Manilva, Mario Jimenez’ Compromis party got the most seats (5), but will have to form a pact again with either the PSOE or PP. In Ronda, Maria Paz Fernandez stays in power with an absolute majority, while in Coin, PP mayor Francisco Santos, will also remain. Similarly, in Antequera, PP leader Manuel Baron got an overall majority, the fourth since 2011, while in Alhaurin, Joaquin Villanova stays in power for his seventh term. The socialists at least had some joy in San Roque, where the PSOE got an overall majority.
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