Searching for G-BBIE brings up a blog which I suspect belongs to your friend which also gives a link to the aircraft on Google earth and a couple of pictures.
The outline on Google earth looks very like a Rockwell 112/114 as does the interior shot (it is 17 years since I last flew one so I could be wrong).
The only one that I can find with a similar reg' is G-DDIG which was written off at Fearn a few years ago.
Maybe someone repainted the reg' to 'divert' spotters.