Sister of British man feared ‘murdered' in Spanish holiday hotspot wants answers
Brett Dryden, 35, was found dead in his Almeria flat with a four-inch gash to his head. Spanish police initially explained the father-of-one's death as a pulmonary embolism or a blood clot.
Police later told his family that his home in the small town of Mojacar, Andalusia had been robbed and an investigation into what happened is still ongoing.
The father-of-one's body was discovered on July 22, five years after moving to the resort Costa Almeria to run a legal cannabis club called The Dawg House.
Mr Dryden was found lying on the floor facing upwards next to a living room window by friends who had arranged to meet him.
His sister Shannen Adams told The Independent: 'It's hell on earth. Each day is a struggle.
'His daughter misses him hugely, she talks about her daddy all the time. It's awful, the worst pain imaginable.'
'I don't think we will ever be at peace, but knowing whoever did this and for them to be held accountable would bring us a little closure at least.
'There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of him. He would have moved mountains for any of his family and friends, I know if this were the other way around. He was the life and soul of our family.'
'We won't ever stop until we get justice for our beautiful Brett,' she continued. 'I spoke to Brett two days before his death. He had only just got back to Spain after being home visiting us in the UK.'
His grieving mother, Sandra Adams from Chester-Le-Street in County Durham, had flown over to Spain on her late son's 36th birthday to speak to locals and police about the night he died.
Neighbours told his family that three men were spotted on CCTV fleeing the scene of the death.
His designer glasses, cash and watch were also missing, prompting fears Mr Dryden could have been killed in a botched robbery.
His mother also claims she received a silent call from her son's phone hours after medics say he was already dead.
After tracking the mobile, she found it was being turned on and off and pinging from different locations across Spain.
She has flown her son's body back to the UK to undergo more forensic testing but the results were inconclusive.
In February Ms Adams told The Mirror about what happened when the family first raised their suspicions about her son's death.
'We rang the police and said, 'There's footage of people going into Brett's house and running away'. I flagged up all these things and that we think it was murder,' she explained.
'After that they called us in and said, 'We need you and your husband to take a step back and let us deal with it now'.'
The investigation into the death is still ongoing with the Guardia Civil yet to comment on it publicly. The Independent has contacted the force for comment.
A court spokesman previously said: 'The investigation hasn't been suspended or closed. It is still open and this incident remains under investigation.
"The court is waiting for the Civil Guard to complete their full report and present their conclusions. For the time being there's nothing more we can say."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Shark bites surfer's leg in bloody attack off Canary Island's coast
A surfer was badly injured after he was attacked by a shark off the Canary Islands. The man was using a hydrofoil board about two miles west of Fuerteventura on Sunday when the incident occurred in open waters. The Los Molinos area is known for occasional shark sightings. After attacking his board, the shark sunk his teeth into the surfer's leg, leaving behind two bloody wounds above the knee, local media reported. He managed to scramble back to the shore for safety and was later treated by emergency services. Spanish TV channel Antena 3 described the wounds as 'deep'. While several shark species, including hammerheads and angel sharks, are known to swim in the area, they do not typically attack humans. Authorities have warned beachgoers to proceed with caution when venturing far from the shore, local media said. The shark attack is the latest in a series of similar incidents as holidaymakers head to the seaside. Earlier this week, a savage fish attacked an 85-year-old Italian woman while swimming in Majorca 's Palma beach. And in April, a man died after a shark attack off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The remains, discovered after a two-day search, were identified as those of the victim, whom Israeli media named as Barak Tzach, a man in his 40s and a father of four. Environmental changes and increasing water temperatures are believed to push some marine species closer to the shore. In a close encounter with a shark, beachgoers are advised to maintain eye contact and slowly move away, according to Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File. 'If the shark tries to bite you: Hit the shark in the eyes and gills - sensitive areas that can be hurt regardless of personal strength; Hit the shark on the snout and push away - water-resistance weakens your punch,' the file added. However, the number of shark bites recorded around the world last year is markedly down from 2023, according to the shark attack database. In 2024, there were only 47 unprovoked attacks, down by 22 from the previous year and well below the 10-year average of 67.
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Majorca beach evacuated after elderly swimmer attacked by savage fish
A popular beach in the Spanish island of Majorca has been evacuated after an animal, initially thought to be a shark, ravaged a tourist's leg. An Italian woman, 85, rushed out of the water with a bloody gash on her left calf at Palma beach around 11.30am local time on Tuesday, local media reported. Two ambulances swiftly arrived and treated the woman at the scene, before she was rushed to a private clinic with skin loss and a severe wound. The incident took place at the Balneario 6 section of the beach. Police said her muscle tissue was not harmed but her skin had been ripped off. Lifeguards evacuated the beach and conducted a deep search to find the responsible animal using boats. Local environmental councillors supported the search, local media said. The animal was not found so lifeguards restored the green flag about an hour later. Initial reports suggested a shark was responsible but analysis of the bite, which had no teeth marks, suggested it was a bluefish instead. 'Our hypothesis is that the attack may have been caused by a bluefish,' marine biodiversity expert Aniol Esteban told local press based off photos. The bluefish is a large and predatory fish with a powerful jaw. It is often found in the Mediterranean during hotter months. The species is not known to regularly attack humans but it can be aggressive when it is feeding or feels threatened. Environmental changes and increasing water temperatures are also believed to push some marine species closer to the shore. Experts have also suggested a triggerfish could have been responsible. Triggerfish have an aggressive bite and are increasingly prevalent in Balearic shores. It comes after a man died after a shark attack off the Mediterranean coast of Israel in April. The remains, discovered after a two-day search, were identified as those of the victim, whom Israeli media named as Barak Tzach, a man in his 40s and a father of four. The number of shark bites recorded around the world last year is markedly down from 2023, according to The Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File database. In 2024, there were only 47 unprovoked attacks, down by 22 from the previous year and well below the 10-year average of 67.
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
British mother, 21, is charged with drug trafficking in Germany after 'being caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand'
A British mother has been charged with trafficking drugs into Germany after being caught allegedly smuggling cannabis from Thailand. Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth in Hertfordshire, was arrested at Munich Airport on April 22 when she attempted to collect her luggage. Authorities had become suspicious after she allegedly changed her flight at the last minute, having originally been due to fly to London Heathrow via Singapore. Her family had filed a missing person report after raising concerns when she did not return home as expected, but then learned the next day she was in Germany. Miss Bradford was arrested and held in custody - and has now been charged with attempted transit of cannabis and abetting the international trafficking of cannabis. The mother, who has a young son, is set to make an appearance at a hearing in Munich District Court on August 6 as authorities continue to investigate. Miss Bradford's arrest is one of a series of cases involving suspected young British female drug mules stopped by police at airports in countries around the world. Following her arrest, Munich chief prosecutor Anne Leiding said: 'We can confirm that we are conducting proceedings in this matter. The defendant is still in custody.' And a Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting a British woman who is detained in Germany and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.' Germany legalised cannabis for recreational use by adults in February 2024, but this did not extend to tourists - and the unauthorised import of the drug is illegal. Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022, but last month brought in new rules which restrict the sale of the drug to those with a doctor's prescription. A UK Border Force and Thai customs agreement called Operation Chaophraya which aims to reduce attempted cannabis smuggling was launched in July last year. The Home Office said in April that the scheme was working after cannabis arrivals by post from Thailand dropped by 90 per cent in the first three months of 2025. Parcels from Thailand must now be checked before they are shipped – and over 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for attempted cannabis smuggling since the operation began. MailOnline contacted the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office and the UK's Foreign Office for comment today. Separately, MailOnline revealed today that a British mother was arrested in Mauritius accused of trying to smuggle cannabis inside her six-year-old son's suitcase. Natashia Artug, 35, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was detained alongside seven other people accused of carrying more than 161kg of the drug - worth £1.6million - in their luggage. The boy's luggage alone is said to have had 24 packages of drugs wrapped in clear cellophane inside weighing 14kg. Campaign group Justice Abroad claimed Ms Artug is 'vulnerable' and was coerced into travelling to Mauritius by people involved in the drug trade who threatened her and her family, adding that she did not know the bags contained cannabis. Miss Artug's partner Florian Lisman, a 38-year-old Romanian, was also arrested and said to be carrying 32 drug packages, an iPhone and £260. The other Britons detained were Patrick Lee Wilsdon, 22, Lily Watson, 20, Shannon Ellen Josie Holness 29, Laura Amy Kappen 28, and Shona Campbell, 32, who each had between 30 and 32 packages, according to local newspaper Le Mauricien. They were all on the same British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport last month. The suspects have all been charged with drug trafficking and remain in custody. A series of other cases in recent months have seen Brits arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. One of the most high profile involves 18-year-old Bella Culley, from Billingham in County Durham, who was arrested in Georgia in May after allegedly carrying 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish into the country from Thailand, where she had been on holiday. Earlier this month her trial was postponed immediately after it began due to issues concerning evidence. She could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted, and her next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Another case in May saw 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May, from Coulsdon in South London locked up in a Sri Lankan prison after police allegedly discovered 46kg of 'Kush' - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase when she arrived on a flight from Thailand. The former cabin crew member for Tui was placed in handcuffs after £1.15million worth of cannabis was allegedly found in her luggage – and could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty. OnlyFans model Clara Wilson, 36, from Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, allegedly tried to smuggle around £200,000 of Thai cannabis into Spain - with more than 34kg of cannabis found in her suitcases at Barcelona's El Prat Airport. British beautician Kimberly Hall, 29, from Middlesbrough, is in custody in the US after being accused of attempting to smuggle $6.2million of cocaine from Chicago O' Hare Airport to the UK, having come off a flight from Cancun in Mexico. Robert Brown, 41, from Newcastle, was arrested in Cambodia last month after allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly 20kg of marijuana into the UK - just hours after he was reported missing by his girlfriend. Police found 22 packages of cannabis weighing nearly 20kg hidden inside his luggage at Phnom Penh Airport. The drugs, which police believe originated in Thailand, are thought to have a street value of around £200,000. Brown has been charged with the use, possession, trafficking and transport of drugs and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. And 79-year-old William 'Billy Boy' Eastment, a bowls-loving pensioner from Somerset, faces dying in prison after he was allegedly intercepted at Santiago Airport in Chile with £200,000 worth of meth.
