RUIN WITH A VIEW | 

Kinahan gangster’s wife dreams of converting luxury villa into five-star hotel over

Our exclusive images, taken this week, of the property in Calle Dinamarca, Mijas, show how building works at the property have been abandoned as Johnny awaits news of his fate in nearby high-security Alhaurin de la Torre Prison.

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Nicola Morrissey’s dreams of converting her luxury Malaga villa into a five-star wellness retreat lie in ruins — 11 months after her husband, cartel money-launderer Johnny Morrissey, was arrested in Spain.

Our exclusive images, taken this week, of the property in Calle Dinamarca, Mijas, show how building works at the property have been abandoned as Johnny awaits news of his fate in nearby high-security Alhaurin de la Torre Prison.

The 62-year-old, nicknamed Johnny Cash, could face another 13 months in a jail cell in Alhaurin de la Torre prison before learning whether he is to be charged on allegations he spearheaded a €200 million money laundering scheme used by the Kinahan cartel.

Detectives and police from six different police forces, including the Spanish Guardia Civil, gardaí and the powerful US Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) took part in the operation to snare the Irish passport holder in Marbella last September.

Johnny had been one of seven senior Kinahan cartel associates sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury’s (DOT) Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2022.

Months earlier, he and wife Nicola who ran Nero Drinks — a business alleged to have been used as a front company by the cartel — announced their intention to expand its operations into the US.

As part of the expansion, they also told how they planned to convert their former home in Calle Dinamarca into a five-star wellness retreat.

In an interview with Malaga’s Exclusive Life magazine, Nicola Morrissey said their plans for 2022 included “launching in Mallorca, Tenerife, the UK and we are finalising plans to launch in America!

“We are also opening an exclusive, five-star wellness retreat overlooking the sea in La Cala.

“We have been busy overseeing the luxury building project, gathering an expert team to deliver the latest therapies and treatments.

“We will have a full-time nutritionist, in-house yoga and meditation specialist, colonic hydrotherapy, cryotherapy and lots more.

“We are due to open in April 2022 and bookings are already rolling in.”

Now, more than 17 months after the wellness retreat was scheduled to open, the property is lying in a state of abandonment and disrepair.

Pictures taken by this newspaper on Thursday last show how, in some cases, workers simply walked off the site leaving building materials behind them.

In one image, cement bags, building blocks and bags of sand can be seen dumped in the front garden.

Others show how the villa’s paintwork is now becoming discoloured by a lack of maintenance, while the gardens are completely overgrown. Meanwhile, metal fences erected to seal off the site lie scattered on the ground.

In the wake of Johnny Morrissey’s arrest, there have been no confirmed sightings of one-time socialite Nicola on the Costa Del Sol.

Company documents seen by the Sunday World show the Glaswegian businesswoman is still listed as the sole owner of Nero Drinks.

Johnny, a target of the Criminal Assets Bureau during his time living in Cork, is not linked through company documents to Nero.

However, the US government has alleged that he handed a significant ownership stake in the business to cartel head Daniel Kinahan as compensation for failed drug shipments.

In the raft of sanctions announced by the US Department of Treasury in April 2022, the DOT alleged Nero Drinks “was designated (sanctioned) for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, John Morrissey.

“John Morrissey,” it said, “who outwardly serves as the Nero Drinks’ brand ambassador, is heavily invested in Nero Drinks and has given a significant portion of the business to Daniel Kinahan to compensate for loads of drugs seized by law enforcement.

“John Morrissey controls and operates Nero Drinks through his wife, the primary shareholder, who is used as a frontperson for his interests.”

Glamourous businesswoman Nicola was also arrested by Spanish police in the raid leading to her husband’s capture but was later released without charge.

Images captured by Spanish media showed the 48-year-old sticking up her middle finger at photographers as she was led from the couple’s villa by officers with the Guardia Civil.

UK authorities believed they had hammered the final nail in the coffin of Nero Drinks in January when the Registrar of Companies issued formal notice that “unless cause is shown to the contrary, the company will be struck off the register and dissolved not less than two months from the date shown above.

“Upon the company’s dissolution, all property and rights vested in, or held in trust for, the company are deemed to be bona vacantia, and will belong to the Crown.”

Unexpectedly, however, the move has been met with resistance.

In a notice posted in February, the striking off action was suspended.

“Action under section 1000 of the Companies Act 2006 has been suspended,” the Companies Office said, “as an objection to the striking off has been received by the Registrar.”