Lynn and Richard Appleby-Brisco, along with their two children, left the UK for a better life in the Guarda district of Portugal. However, their dream soon turned into a nightmare after they claim to have faced a “storm of resentment” from locals.
The couple alleges that their four year old dog Cu was killed in an attack, and their cat Ponyo and her kitten Bubbles were snatched by a local in January, following the poisoning of their goats. Lynn even claims a villager threatened to harm them after their pets were targeted.
They were subjected to harassment, including being spat at and labelled “English pigs”, and rumours circulated that Lynn was a devil-worshipping prostitute. Fed up with the alleged abuse, Lynn and their two daughters returned to the UK while Richard remained in Portugal to transport their belongings back.
Lynn, who now works as a chef in the UK, said: “We couldn’t make it work, no matter how hard we tried. The worst part is that I am so happy to be back in England even though we have literally lost every penny we spent our lives working for but I am constantly afraid to let my guard down.
After abandoning their luxurious flat, fast cars and successful property empire, the family moved to the countryside of Portugal to live off-grid. Rob served in the air force before launching his property career in London where he met Amy, a musician.
They decided to buy 18 flats in London and built a profitable empire. Thankfully, their friends have set up a GoFundMe page and have raised over £3,000.
