A MUM who is worried sick about her helpless son stranded in a Middle Eastern jail cell has had her “whole world shattered” by the “surreal” ordeal.
Kirsty Reynolds, a petrified mother, expressed her fear that her well-behaved child might not survive after receiving a three-month jail term in Bahrain.
Royal Navy sailor Owen Hagerty, 22, was mercilessly thrown into a detention centre after he “broke up a fight”.
But her son was slapped with a brutal sentence related to assault charges “in a matter of seconds” when he attended his hearing.
She hopelessly pleaded: “All I wanted was to welcome him home.”
“He’s going to be in with murderers, rapists, all the horrible people. It’s going to be so dangerous.”
She also mentioned that officials in the Arab country did not listen to her son’s pleas of innocence before issuing the harsh punishment.
She said: “He never even got a chance to speak in court, it was over in a matter of seconds.
“The colour drained from my face as I was told the news.
“When I spoke to Owen, he was in floods of tears.
“He told me he is trying to stay positive and just wants to come back home.
She added that her “whole world has shattered”, and that the whole experience had left her “sleepless”.
“I can’t process it. It’s so surreal,” she cried.
Owen, who was always keen to travel and explore, joined the Royal Navy in 2021 and left for his first deployment in Bahrain last October.
He told his mum he was “having the time of his life” – before he was ruthlessly chucked into a detention centre.
The bold sailor was expected to return home in February after spending four months in the detention centre.
But in a horrific twist, the 22-year-old was handed a three-month sentence for assault after breaking up a fight between a couple.
She was reduced to tears when a Royal Navy officer informed her of her sons unfortunate arrest – despite him seemingly doing nothing wrong.
The mum said: “He never even got a chance to speak in court, it was over in a matter of seconds.
“He mentally can’t do any more time over there, especially in prison.”
Owen’s brother Jack, had also flown over to Bahrain to bring him out of the detention centre and back home.
“His brother said he’s just a shell of himself – how much more is he going to be able to take?” Owen’s mum added.
“Nobody ever expected it to go this far – he’s just a boy.”
Since the sentencing, Owen’s family has allocated more than £4,000 to hire a lawyer and is collaborating with their local Member of Parliament, the Home Office, and the Royal Navy to secure Owen’s return to the United Kingdom.
A Royal Navy Spokesperson said: “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.”
