A man rough sleeping in the city has told of the horror of becoming homeless after being mugged in Spain while moving house.
Richard Martin, 53, suffered a brutal attack at knifepoint and “lost everything” on November 15 last year while moving house in Seville.
His four front teeth were knocked out and nearly all his possessions taken.
Richard, who lived in Spain for 12 years teaching English, then spent the next six weeks sleeping rough in Seville before returning to Brighton, where he studied at Sussex University in the 1980s and 1990s.
Richard has a degree and masters in English and American literature, as well as a PhD from the University of Sussex, which was confirmed by the university.
He now faces months on the streets of Brighton as he tries to have his name put on the council's temporary accommodation list.
Speaking of the mugging in Spain, Richard said he was keeping belongings in a storage locker and staying in a hostel for a couple of days until the tenancy on his new flat started.
He described how two men attacked him in a bus shelter, leaving him with nothing apart from his passport which was in a hidden money belt.
Richard told The Argus: “On the last day, I’m waiting in the night bus stop around midnight. A guy comes up on an e-scooter and goes by and comes back. He finally comes into the shelter and another guy comes in and sits down next to me.
“I then feel a knife in my back. I speak good Spanish and try to explain to them they’re robbing the wrong person, I don’t have anything. They didn’t believe me.
“One of them is holding me and the other is punching me in the ribs and the face. Two teeth came out immediately and two a few days later.
“I was on the floor pretending to be unconscious, they are searching through my pockets and they’re off. I felt my phone and wallet go.
“I had been in Spain for 12 years, I didn’t have any travel insurance because I’m a resident there. I hadn’t been able to afford health insurance in Spain since Covid. Everyone is living month to month in Spain, nobody has money.
“The police opened the locker for me the next day and it was empty. I did not expect my stuff to be gone. I thought it would take them longer. In less than 24 hours since the attack, all my stuff was gone.
“They emptied my last £1,200, my laptop, furniture, TV, clothes, it was all gone.
“I did not know how to cope, I went and found the nicest park in Seville and lived there for ten days and nights without leaving. I did not sleep the whole time.”
He spent six weeks in total living rough in Seville.
The British Benevolent Fund, a charity which provides support for British citizens in Spain, bought Richard a flight back to England where he felt he would get more support being homeless.
He said he “felt happy” on the train down from Gatwick on December 28 and remembered his way around the city.
But when he visited Brighton Town Hall and Brighton JobCentre Plus, he claimed that staff at both offices told him he would not pass the habitual residence test, something people must pass to be eligible for housing or welfare benefits after being outside the country.
To pass the test, people must prove the UK is their main home and they plan to stay, as well as having a “right to reside” through being a British citizen.
Richard took the test on January 11 and passed one day later.
The Argus contacted the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on January 12 and it confirmed that Richard had passed the test a day after taking it on January 11.
Brighton and Hove City Council said he was initially “unable to prove” that he was a habitual resident in the UK but understands this issue may have been resolved.
Richard, originally from Devon, is waiting for temporary accommodation through the council while sleeping rough in Brighton.
It comes as The Argus reported on figures which show that one in 78 residents in Brighton is homeless.
Richard, who has lost contact with his family for personal reasons, said: “If I was rough sleeping somewhere with better weather, I think I could do it. But now I have been on the streets for three weeks and I’m thinking I have to survive months like this in the winter.
“I don’t think I can do it. I’m a strong person but I don’t think I can do it.
“I’m worried about crime, I’m worried about whether I can sleep. I have a persistent cough now, I am worried that I have a diagnosis of PTSD after my attack. It means I am doing things like talking to myself, I’m anxious and having nightmares.
“I’m in a desperate situation and don’t know if I can make it. I would like to use this as an opportunity to get out of this and allow people to use this as an example so other people can take control of their situation.
“I had some hope but bit by bit, it has been dashed. The support services such as Arch GP, Change, Grow, Live and First Base are really good. They know my situation is more serious than other people’s.
“They have had other people come back from countries who they know will be rough sleeping for a very long time with little help."
A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “We were sorry to hear of the difficulties Mr Martin has faced and sympathise with his current circumstances.
“When he first approached us he was unable to prove what is known as ‘habitual residency’ in this country.
“By law this meant we were unable to consider him for council accommodation.
“We understand that this issue may now have been resolved.
“If so we would encourage him to get back in touch with our housing options team so that we can reassess what support we may be able to offer him.”
Since then, Richard says the council has recognised that he has a legitimate housing need and will look to produce what is known as a personal housing plan in the next 56 days.
Richard has set up a fundraiser to try and get off the streets.
For more information on Richard's story and his fundraiser, click here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel