Family of missing Brit Lisa Brown feared murdered in Spain offer up to £100,000 for vital information to help find her
The 32-year-old vanished from Cadiz, where she lived, in 2015. Spanish police carried out major searches for Lisa, originally from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire, but had no success
THE brother of a missing British mum spoke of his “torn apart” family’s suffering today as he revealed they were offering a £100,000 reward for information on her whereabouts.
Emotional Craig Douglas, 48, admitted the 28 months since Lisa Brown vanished from her expat home in Spain had been “the most painful time of our lives.”
Admitting he was resigned to the fact she was dead but insisting he and his loved ones were seeking closure as well as justice for the mum of suffering son Marco, 10, he said: “There are very few families worldwide who are suffering like us without a grave, without any knowledge of where Lisa is.
“This not knowing is unbearable. We need to know where Lisa is. We need to bring her home. Please help us do that.”
“My sister Lisa was a beautiful young woman, someone who was kind and gentle, but more than anything else she was a brilliant young mother.
“She worked tirelessly to provide her little boy with the best possible life he could have.
“This little boy went to school one day and came home that night to find that his mum had been taken away from him and from us for ever.
“We can’t understand how anyone could do that to Lisa so how a child be expected to understand?”
"There's very few families worldwide where they actually don't know what's happened to people they love.
"They're gone and you don't know where they are - that's pretty overwhelming at times.
"It's a daily struggle, Lisa was my wee sister and then she's not there.
"My mum's in her 70s, Lisa's son is only 10. For that wee boy to go to school and come back and she's not there, I'm doing this for them - I refuse to let Lisa be forgotten.
In a no holds barred message to the people Lisa’s family believe are holding back information on where she is and who is behind her disappearance, he added: “There are people out there who know who have torn our family apart. We are absolutely certain of that.
“They are allowing those responsible to get away with killing someone, with stealing a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and yet they go about their daily lives as if nothing ever happened. How can they do that?
“Decent human beings don’t allow individuals to get away with killing someone, devastating a family and leaving a child without a mother.”
Lisa, originally from Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, vanished aged 32 on November 4 2015 from her home in Guadiaro near Gibraltar and is presumed dead by Spanish authorities as well as her family.
The chief suspect, Lisa’s Liverpool-born boyfriend Simon Corner, is on the run after being released from prison on bail and going AWOL.
A Spanish judge released the 35-year-old in April last year after his April 2016 arrest in Denmark on an international arrest warrant.
The convicted criminal, jailed for three months in Gibraltar in May 2014 for possession of an offensive weapon after a nightclub alteration, is thought have fled Spain around Christmas-time but was only made the subject of an international arrest warrant earlier this week.
Court officials have confirmed Corner remains under investigation on suspicion of Lisa’s homicide - along with six other Brits suspected of obstruction of justice.
Lisa’s brother revealed the family’s cash reward during a fresh appeal this morning at a hotel near her home, attended by Britain’s Ambassador to Spain Simon Manley, representatives of UK charity Crimestoppers and Spanish police.
Lisa’s sister Helen, 51, and her mum Cathy, 73, also attended along with Lisa’s former partner Tony Tomillero, who is now looking after their son at his home in Spain.
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Mr Manley, insisting British authorities were working “shoulder to shoulder” with their Spanish counterparts, said: “Few of us can imagine what Lisa’s family have gone through and are going through.
“It’s crucial we uncover information about the disappearance of Lisa Brown and that’s why we are here today.”
Roger Critchell, Crimestoppers Director of Operations, added: “We have offered to help Lisa’s family to facilitate the £100,000 reward.
“The reward relates to finding her whereabouts, anything that assists lawful authorities in their investigations and that may lead to an arrest and conviction.
“Someone knows what happened to Lisa. Maybe more than one person knows.
“What we want to know at Crimestoppers is what those people know. We do not want to know who you are. We do not trace your telephone calls, we cannot trace your telephone calls and we don’t take any of your personal details.
“Whoever gives us information remains 100% anonymous. We can guarantee that.”
He said the family had provided money for the reward, which has also benefitted from a GoFundMe appeal, although no further details were given.
Craig, who like the authorities present said he preferred not to talk about the chief suspect because “today is about the reward” said: “When we started this we had a figure of £100,000 in mind.
“We were very much focused on reaching that target. It’s taken a long time but we’re here.”
Lisa’s older sister Helen Jordan has appealed for information on Simon Corner - who was born Dean Woods but changed his name after run-ins with police - on a Facebook campaign called Find Lisa.
She admitted earlier this month in a post about him alongside a photo: “If anyone is going abroad or stays abroad (Far East is a strong possibility) please keep a look out.
“Probably changed his name yet again and maybe speak some Spanish now
“Normally he has a scouse accent and on his right arm a large cross tattoo.
“Please help us find him and receive justice for our beautiful girl.”
Writing on Mother’s Day she added in a poignant message to her sister: “Mother's Day has arrived and yet another one you have missed, and we don't even know where you are.
“We know the door isn't going to knock anymore or the phone will ring and you'll be there.
“There are not enough words to explain how much you’re missed every day but more so on special days like today.
“Your Mother's Day were few but they were filled with so much love and you were a wonderful mum.
“Happy Mother’s Day Lisa.”
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