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Antigua shooting victim flown home

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Ben and Catherine Mullany

Ben Mullany, who is fighting for his life after being shot whilst on honeymoon in Antigua, is being flown back to Britain today.

The British holidaymaker was shot during a failed robbery of his holiday cottage in which his new wife Catherine Mullany, a doctor, was shot in the head and killed. He was left in a coma with a bullet wound to the head and neck.

The couple were reaching the end of their two-week trip to Antigua when they were attacked at their cottage in a bungled robbery.

The 31-year-old is attached to a ventilator and doctors have described him as 'brain dead', with one senior surgeon predicting his diagnosis as 'poor'.

The decision to fly Mr Mullany home was made after the doctor treating him in Antigua explained: 'He is not deteriorating or progressing, he is still the same. We have done the best we can and now hope for a medical miracle – we never know, it could happen,' he said.

The doctor added that he 'had no idea' whether or transporting Mr Mullany to a British hospital would make a difference to his condition or not.

It is thought he will be transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff or Morriston Hospital in Swansea, near to where his parents live.

Police have questioned at least a dozen people in connection with the murder and attempted murder, but there are no official suspects. A reward has been put out for over £60,000 for information on the attack.

Antigua's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said: 'We will just keep plugging away until we catch the perpetrator. We have four teams working very hard on it. We have pulled in officers from other sections to assist us so I am optimistic that we will be successful.'

The Prime Minister has also requested assistance from Scotland Yard. The Foreign Office in London is considering the appeal and a verdict is expected today.

Friday 1 August 2008

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What an awful situation for this poor man's parents and for everyone close to him. It's hard to know what to wish for, if he pulls through he has to face life without his wife and who knows what quality of life he will have. If he succumbs then he is lost to those who love him.
The people who have done this, deserve everything that's coming to them - in this world and the next!
It has certainly put me off visiting Antigua!
Comment by Sorrel.Rice on August 01 16:05

Poor poor man - what a situation to be in - they did everything right, good careers, nice wedding with family and friends, and then a heavenly honeymoon to a paradise island!!! We say - Man proposes, and God disposes - and this is so true - I went to a wedding in Cuba last year - and whilst life is brilliant in the tourist complexes, outside the compounds is abject poverty!! No Cubans are allowed after 9.00pm unless they are working staff - and most staff are highly qualified doctors, accountants, etc - and really kind and obliging, always polite, because they can earn more money in tourism than in their profession. I think that's what tourists in the Caribbean don't see, they must see the wealthy people coming in to holiday, and they feel angry and jealous. Cuba would certainly never ever have been my destination, but there were 12 of us witnessing this wedding, and I bet the Mullanys are "lucky" in that they married in S Wales - so family and friends have got lovely memories of them imprinted in their minds. As for Ben Mullany, I hope to God he makes it - he deserves to live so much.
Comment by Cate on August 01 22:06

I am so sorry for this couple.. had all those dreams and a great life.. I just do not understand GOD's wishes to be honest... I just can't imagine this man's life without the Love of his Life...I just can't...
So many criminals out and about ..seriously not planning to go to the Antigua.
Comment by claudia clarke on August 03 17:47

I just feel so shocked that this has happened to such a young couple who had just been married, its just awful.

My sister had just been married a day before this couple and had gone on there honeymoon at the same time and it just makes me feel sick at the thought, my thoughts are with all the family at this painful time.
Comment by laura on August 08 15:16