Alex TrelinskiA SERIAL burglar convicted of 169 offences in Essex and London, has left the owners of a Costa Blanca property out of pocket after converting it into a cannabis farm.
29-year-old Lithuanian, Radas Balkevicius, was given a four-year jail term at Chelmsford Crown Court in 2014 after netting over a £1 million of items in a five-year period.
Only a quarter of the goods were ever recovered and after his release, he popped up in the Pilar de la Horadada area.
Balkevicius and his partner, Kelley O’Toole, rented a villa in the popular expat area of Pinar de Campoverde which was solely used to grow marihuana.
The landlords then got the shock of their lives as they discovered what the building was used for.
The Olive Press spoke to joint-owner of the property, Amanda Lamb. She said: “This has been a total heart-wrenching situation for myself and the other co-owner as we have to pay for all the damage to be repaired, in addition to the cost of an illegal electricity supply and a massive water bill.”
Balkevicius paid the monthly rental via a bank transfer and all seemed fine until Amanda discovered what was actually going on at the villa.
“The couple said they were going to use it as a family home having recently had a new baby, but they never actually moved in.”
“We even gave them a discount on their rent because of the child,” Amanda added.
“I was shocked to see all the damage caused by them making holes for ventilation systems. I sent them plenty of emails asking them to clear up the mess and to pay for repairs, but nothing has happened.”
Authorities are investigating what happened at the villa, while Balkevicius is said to be living in either Torre de la Horadada or Mil Palmeras.
