British property owner is attacked by squatters living in his apartment

A British property owner, who flew to Malaga after being told by neighbours that his holiday home in Manilva had squatters in it, needed hospital after he confronted the people staying illegally in his property but they turned on him and beat him with bottles and broken glass leaving him covered in blood.

According to his testimony, he was hit several times with bottles on the head and he suffered numerous cuts on his back and other parts of his body that were allegedly caused by broken glass.

When members of the Local Police and the Guardia Civil went to the address in question, they told him to file a denuncia (official complaint) after receiving medical assistance.

The incident occurred last Tuesday, although it all started a couple of days before on Sunday (May 28^th), when the residents of a complex in Manilva with approximately 700 homes, who have asked to remain anonymous, realized that someone had moved into his house, and had even installed an alarm.

They called the owner, named Michael, and asked him if he had rented his property to anyone, and when he answered no, they explained that there were people living in it, so he said he was getting a flight from Liverpool to come and see what was happening.

The 52-year-old man flew from England to Malaga on Tuesday morning and then drove straight to Manilva, a town located about 100 kilometres from the capital of Malaga.

When he arrived at the complex, friends and neighbours advised him to call the police, but he refused. The neighbours said they would go with him, but he told them not to worry, and that he would go alone.

What happened inside the building will be determined by the courts, but the result was the image of Michael completely covered in blood asking for help. He claims that several people beat him up, attacking him with a broken bottle and then cut him with it on different parts of his body.

The injury report issued by the hospital in Marbella details that the injured man (Michael) had two fractures in one finger, cuts in the left renal fossa, dorsal zone and left side of his body, as well as another in the cartilage of the left auricular pavilion and mastoid.

In the denuncia that he filed with the Guardia Civil on Thursday, Michael stated that when he arrived at the door of his home he tried to open it with his key, but the lock had been changed. He rang the bell several times but no one answered, so he assumed the property was empty.

Seeing a window open he decided to go in and saw that there were people in the room. Subsequently, he told them to get out as it was his property, which is when they attacked him.

He also stated that his attackers were three men presumably of Moroccan nationality and at no point did he use a weapon as he only tried to defend himself, before going to the security booth at the entrance of the complex to ask for help.

They called for medical help, as well as the Local Police and the Guardia Civil, who went to the house and apparently spoke with the squatters who told them that they had a rental contract.

According to friends and neighbours, Michael has now returned to the UK and is seeking legal advice, and says he doesn’t know if or when he will return to the area because he is afraid for his family.