Father-of-one Brett Dryden, 35, was tragically found dead at his home in Spain. His mother Sandra Adams is calling for justice following the anniversary of his death
A heartbroken family of a British expat who was discovered dead after suffering from a head injury say they are still fighting for answers a year after his death.
Brett Dryden, 35, was found lying in a pool of his blood at his home in the town of Mojacar, Spain, on July 21 last year. His friends discovered him dead with a two-inch gash to his head after he went home for a siesta. The dad-of-one, who moved to the sunny destination in 2019, sustained injuries which indicated “signs of a struggle.”
Officials in Spain told his mother, Sandra Adams, that an autopsy showed he had suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism, which is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your lungs. Authorities earlier backtracked on claims that he had been attacked by an axe.
Ms Adams, from Chester-le-Street in County Durham, believes her son was murdered and is calling for the authorities to take the investigation more seriously. It comes as a local court investigation into his death remains open.
But court officials say they are still awaiting a full police report amid the customary silence from Spanish cops while their probe continues. Ms Adams has voiced fears of a “cover-up” by authorities to protect the tourist trade. No arrests have yet taken place, despite CCTV footage Brett’s stepfather is said to have obtained from a neighbour reportedly showing two men running away from his home in Mojacar where he ran a legal cannabis bar called The Dawg House and Ms Adams claiming police initially told them “there’d been a violent murder.”
A Spanish judicial official said today: “The Civil Guard has not yet informed the investigating court, which is Court Number Four in Vera, about any novelties with regards to the police probe. It says it is still waiting for the Civil Guard investigators to submit a report to the court.”
He added: “What the court is going to do is to extend the investigation period for another six months. It will do that this week in accordance with the law, which compels a judge to extend a judicial investigation after a year has passed. There have been no arrests yet.”
Sandra wrote on the family’s Facebook campaign site Justice for Brett Dryden at the start of the week: “Always on my mind. It’s a year next Monday since you were violently taken away from us. You were robbed of your life. It only feels like yesterday I miss you with every beat of my heart Brett Dryden. Still no answers. We are fighting for justice to find the vile scum who took your life. My beautiful son, you will be forever missed.”
In April she made a heartbreaking journey to where Mr Dryden died in a trip she described as “soul-destroying” and coincided with what would have been his 36th birthday. She had planned to stage a protest against Spanish authorities but cancelled this after learning she could face prosecution without giving them 40 days notice.
Shannen Adams, who organised a GoFundMe appeal for her sibling father-of-one after his death so he could be repatriated and “his five-year-old daughter Charley could say goodbye to her daddy”, wrote last week: “As we prepare to fly out to Spain the pain of losing you is unbearable.
“One year without hearing your voice, your laugh, seeing your smile, just having your presence. Our life will never ever be the same without you here Brett. We miss you beyond words and we will continue to fight for justice for you. The people that took your life need to be held accountable. Our whole family are shattered. Charley robbed of her daddy. No little girl should have to grow up without her daddy.”
Brett’s mum and stepdad released footage of his blood-stained Costa home last month. They took the brave decision after getting hold of the autopsy report which despite saying the former Nissan factory worker died after falling and bashing his head following a pulmonary embolism caused by the use of drugs, pointed to “signs of a struggle.”
Sandra had already reported her son’s belongings including his phone and designer Gucci sunglasses as missing in the aftermath of his death. She revealed last month she discovered his mobile was still in use after turning private detective and seeing through the Find My iPhone app it kept pinging back to a house near Mojacar – but claimed cops said they already knew when she told them and didn’t seem that interested.
In a new online post, Sandra said: “As we prepare to fly out to Spain on Sunday, the pain of losing you is beyond words. To have to continue our life without you here is heartbreaking. One whole year on Monday without you here with us, and the evil scum that took you from us roam free. We will continue to fight for justice for you Brett if it’s the last thing we do. We love you endlessly Brett.”