Sister of British man feared ‘murdered’ in Spanish holiday hotspot wants answers

Brett Dryden’s family has been campaigning for answers over the tragic death of ‘the life and soul of our family’

Brett Dryden was found dead in his resort home on the Costa Almeria on July 22 of last year (Supplied)

The sister of a British man who died in a Spanish holiday resort town has spoken of her fears he could have been ‘murdered’.

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.

Mr Dryden was found in his flat with a wound to the head (Supplied)

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.”

Brett moved to the resort five years earlier (Supplied)

“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 family believe he was killed after he was found with a four-inch gash to his head (Supplied)

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.

Mr Dryden's family held a memorial walk on the Costa Almeria the week of his birthday (Supplied)

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."

To donate to the family fundraiser for legal fees click here.