Simon Wade
A BRITISH expat who reported his car stolen by a transport company called Mission Impossible has his car back after the alleged thief was spotted 100 miles away.
Kenny Greenhow drove from his Costa Blanca home through the night after an eagle-eyed Olive Press reader recognised the car and the driver from an article published over a year ago.
to “Guardian Angel” Olive Press reader
It reported that Simon Davies, trading as Mission Impossible Ltd, had been paid to take the valuable convertible back to the UK in late 2019, before disappearing without trace.
Despite reporting the theft to both Spanish and British police, Greenhow admitted he thought he’d never see his beloved BMW ever again, until our newsdesk received the email on Friday morning, December 15.
The unmistakable Mr Davies (right), had been spotted behind the wheel of the very same car in and around Palomares (Almeria), over 100 miles away.
The South Shields man responded immediately by driving down to Costa del Sol with a friend from his home in Lo Crispin, near Ciudad Quesada.
Luckily, the car was parked outside the home said to be that of Mr Davies, so the spare key was used to retrieve the car back from under his nose.
Greenhow admits, “my heart was pounding, but I knew I had to get my car back and tell the police.”
“There was the slim chance that the car might not actually be mine, but when the door opened, I almost leapt for joy – it’s been missing for over a year,” he exclaimed.
Greenhow described the Olive Press reader that contacted the newsdesk as, “my Guardian Angel.”
Back home on the Costa Blanca, the car was found to be in a “filthy” state, filled with grubby sports equipment and electronic devices.
Alarmingly, Mr Greenhow’s MOT and insurance papers were STILL in the car, along with a new logbook and an insurance policy in the name of Anita Davies, the convicted fraudster’s wife.
Notably, the car was now registered on Irish number plates, in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to evade detection.
DVLA papers found in the boot on Saturday morning.
Previously, this newspaper discovered that Davies is no stranger to the law.
He was jailed in 2008 for his part in a £380,000 mortgage fraud, has a conviction for swindling £30,000 in a business investment scam and was disqualified from being a company director after a bankruptcy.
The Olive Press spoke with Mr Davies on the morning of December 17, and he claims to have been back in the UK already.
Davies alleged that the car had been in storage awaiting collection by the owner, despite paperwork in the boot suggesting HE was the owner.
He also accused the 63-year-old Mr Greenhow of threatening to send a gang of “hitmen” to seek out justice, despite not knowing the whereabouts of Mr Davies or the car.
Davies also threatened that if the “persecution” from third parties continued, “things might get interesting.”
After informing the police that his car had been retrieved, he was delighted to discover they fully supported him crossing two provincial borders to get it back.
OPINION : A wonderful victory that shows what can be achieved when our readers swing into action
