Owen Haggerty, 22, looked as if he “could have just broken down” after he learned he would be jailed in a Middle Eastern country for three months with his family concerned it could mentally “scar” him for life
The brother of a “totally helpless” young sailor who was locked up abroad has shared the horror moment he learned of his “inhumane” sentence.
Owen Haggerty, 22, was just one day away from completing his first deployment to Bahrain when he tried to stop a brawl in the street. His distraught mum Kirsty Reynolds made a plea for help, adding her son had remained at the scene to check on how an injured victim was after he was taken away by the police. His older brother Jack, 29, who travelled to the Middle Eastern country last month to support his sibling, from Johnstone, just west of Glasgow, has revealed Owen’s horror at being jailed for three months. He said: “When we came out of the court I was speaking to the lawyer.
“It had been in Arabic and Owen was behind and overheard what was said. It looked as if he could have just broken down. He said he physically and mentally couldn’t do this any longer.”
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“He was handcuffed to another inmate and I was trying to walk with him to talk to him but could only follow to a certain point,” he continued. “As he walked away I was completely helpless because I don’t know what the next step is.
“That was the last time I got to see him. The situation is just horrendous. We worry for Owen’s future knowing the impact the last five weeks have had so far.”
He told Mirror affiliate, the Daily Record: “Three more months of that is mentally going to scar him for life and it is completely inhumane in my opinion for a member of the British Navy to be left in that situation.”
Owen had spent the last four months as a minesweeper on HMS Bangor when a brawl erupted during a night out with pals off base to mark the end of his deployment. He told officers he stayed to help the victim and added he saw CCTV that night that clearly showed he was an innocent party in the altercation.
But Owen was detained until Wednesday and a judge ordered him to be locked up for three months. His family has pleaded with Royal Navy bosses, politicians and the foreign office in a bid to help him, adding he could have been sent to Hidd Prison.
Jack, who has since flown back to Glasgow to help his brother, said: “There is not a single bit of evidence other than Owen physically staying with the gentleman and helping him. It would have been easier to accept if he was guilty of something but the fact he’s completely innocent makes the whole situation inhumane.
“In all Owen’s statement to police it mentions CCTV footage he was shown on the night it happened. That has never been seen again. We thought after five weeks of him being there that things would have resolved, which hasn’t happened.
“This week we expected all the CCTV footage to be shown but the hearing lasted no more than 10 seconds. Owen’s name was called, the judge spoke and gave his verdict. There was no reasoning other than the fact it was another three months.
“It just came as such a shock and curve ball. All the evidence shows he had no marks on his hands or clothes. We’re all so worried about his mental and physical wellbeing because he’s been in the cell 23 hours a day and only gets out for one hour.
“We’re now unsure if he’s back in the detention centre or has been moved to the prison. I don’t know which is worse because in the detention centre his visits have now changed to once a month.”
Jack added the family was reeling after lawyers claimed the victim, an Egyptian entertainer, who reportedly needed stitches for cuts to his head and nose, would settle the case for more than £50,000.
He added relatives, who were forced to spend thousands of pounds to hire their own lawyer, now fear a retrial could go against them and keep Owen in jail for longer. Jack said: “There is next to nothing we can do over there now. We now need help from someone back home in the UK – at the British embassy or a politician.
“The only way we can get Owen out before the 12 weeks would be to look at going down the compensation route with the victim – even though it wasn’t Owen.” A Royal spokesperson commented: “The welfare of our people is a top priority which is why we are continuing to support a member of the Royal Navy detained in Bahrain as well as his family.
“We are working with the British Embassy in Bahrain and in regular contact with Bahrain’s law enforcement authorities. Regular visits have been made to the individual by the chain of command, colleagues and consular officials to provide support.”
The Foreign Office has said it would provide assistance to the family.
