Missing girl Amy Fitzpatrick was allegedly being paid to go on ‘drug runs’ with two British men, her mother has been told.
The shocking claim comes as the 15th anniversary of the 15 year old Irish teenager’s disappearance in Spain on New Year’s Day 2008, approaches. In an exclusive interview with this paper, Amy’s mother Audrey says she’s been told for the first time of explosive claims that come from pals of her daughter, of her being used to help hide criminal activity on the Costa Del Sol.
“I was told that they went on drug runs. Amy got a hundred euros to sit in the car with them like an innocent.
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“I never knew that before. This is all news that I’m only after getting in the last week,” the shocked mother said.
Audrey says she previously heard of the two British men identified to her - one of whom was once interviewed in a UK prison in relation to her daughter’s 2008 disappearance from the Mijas Costa area of Spain.
But the stunning revelation that Amy was allegedly being paid by them to sit in the front of their car while they went on ‘drug runs’ is new to her - and could hold the key to unlocking the mystery of what happened to her.
“These were bad men. I didn’t realise she was doing stuff like that and I don’t mind saying it.
"It’s 15 years later now so what have I got to lose? It might lead to the answer and somebody else could know and want to come forward now and talk about it,” she said.
“I didn’t know anything about this. I was told she would sit in the front of the car so she looked like somebody’s daughter.
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“These men were in their 40s or 50s and she sat there and got paid for just being there in the car,” she added.
The supposed scheme worked by the men posing as though they were on a family outing in the car - thereby being able to get through any potential police checkpoint easier.
It is understood that this information was passed to the La Guardia Civil, who are still investigating Amy’s disappearance.
Audrey says she remembers her daughter often going off for periods of time -but she always thought it was to go shopping or to hang out with friends. “I always thought they were going out shopping or they were doing something with friends.
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“It was only a couple of hours a day. I just thought she was out with her friends.
“I’m shocked by this but I’m also relieved to be hearing new information after 15 years with no developments.”
Audrey was also stunned after a pal of Amy’s recently revealed details of his last ever conversation with Amy - the night before she disappeared.
Alan Quieros, who said he regarded Amy like a “little sister” recently told this paper about that conversation which occurred on social media site MSN - in which Amy mysteriously said she had a “scheme” after her mother cancelled her flights home to Ireland.
Amy told Alan: “I love you, Happy New Year, and don’t worry about me, I’ve got a scheme’.”
Audrey says she was stunned to learn this information - and says she cannot begin to imagine what her daughter was referring to.
“He spoke to her 15 years ago. 15 years and it’s something new.
"This is the first time we’ve heard of this. That’s the first I’ve heard about that.
“It’s stumped us. God knows what was in her head because she’s a hot head like me. It’s really important information.”
“Believe you me she was clever.”
Audrey confirmed that she did cancel Amy’s planned trip back to Ireland, which she says was happening to mark her upcoming 16th birthday.
She says she did so because her son Dean, who was later killed, had gotten into “trouble” - something she kept quiet about at the time Amy vanished.
“She said her passport was destroyed, which was a lie because she was on my passport since she was a baby.
“She said that I destroyed it. No such thing. You can’t believe a word out of a teenager’s mouth,” Audrey said.
“She was on my passport. I had her booked for going home and then Dean ran into trouble.
“So that’s why I canceled the holiday. That’s why she was so upset because I canceled the holiday.”
Audrey says she kept that fact secret at the time because she didn’t want any attention on her son. "I had to cancel that because of Dean.
“That was the big upset. But I never told anybody because I didn’t want people to know about what Dean was up to.
“I didn’t let anybody know. So I was the bad person. I had to protect Dean.
"So she got upset about that. I didn’t want anyone knowing he was in trouble especially after her going disappearing.
"It would have been a big thing and I didn’t want to put the focus on him,” she said. But Audrey says she can now be honest about the citation - and says she has nothing to lose by having everything out there in the open.
“He’s gone now. I just didn’t want anybody reflecting on him or thinking bad about him. So I never told anybody and I took it on the chin and let myself take the blame,” she added.
Audrey says she now hopes these new nuggets of information may lead to the answer as to what happened to her daughter.
And in a message to the two men who it is claimed Amy was going on drug runs with, she said: "Come forward. I’d offer a reward if they came forward.
“I’d give every last penny I had. She was just 15 years old.”
Amy was last seen walking from her friend Ashley Rose’s house at around 10pm on New Years Day, 2008, walking in the direction of her home, where she lived with her mother Audrey and stepfather Dave Mahon.
Her mobile phone was subsequently discovered in her bedroom by her mother Audrey, who has repeatedly stated that she does not believe Amy went out with her phone before she vanished.
Despite claims that the case has been shelved, it is understood that officers continue to investigate Amy’s disappearance.
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