Stag party reveller run over four times

The death of a stag party reveller who was run down by four cars will be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A coroner called the tragic death of Mark Flanagan, 31, a "tale of inhumanity" after hearing how a series of drivers all left the scene after hitting him.

Jeff Thomas, the Merthyr Tydfil deputy coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death yesterday but said he would contact the CPS with a view to having the whole "disturbing" incident reviewed.

Mr Flanagan, of Glannant, Fochriw, near Bargoed, in the South Wales Valleys, was returning from his brother's stag night in Swansea when he was hit and killed.

He was returning home in a taxi but did not have enough money for the fare and was dropped off by the driver at the side of a dark and isolated dual carriageway.

An inquest in Merthyr Tydfil heard Mr Flanagan was more than three and a half times over the legal drink drive limit when he was hit while wandering in the middle of the A465 carriageway in June of last year.

A Merthyr Tydfil shopkeeper was the first to strike Mr Flanagan while he was standing in the road. The shopkeeper was speeding home from a night out in Swansea in his 4x4 vehicle and failed to stop.

He was later arrested and reported for failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident and is due to be summoned to appear before magistrates to answer both charges.

A minibus driver carrying a party of drunken revellers home from Swansea, then ran over the body and kept going.

Mr Flanagan was then struck by a teenage lifeguard coming home from Swansea with her boyfriend and another couple. She stopped and went back to check the body, then panicked and left the scene and went on to a party.

A teenage boy and his girlfriend were the last to run over Mr Flanagan's body by which time a party of night fishermen returning home had stopped at the scene and already reported the accident to the police.

The teenager claimed his girlfriend was suffering such shock from what happened that he left the scene to take her home, stopping further on to remove items of Mr Flanagan's clothing that were lodged under his car.

Despite the later arrest of all three drivers for the part that they played, the inquest heard that no action would be taken against any of them.

Bride-to-be's plee after groom disappears on stag night

A desperate bride issued an impassioned plea to her missing groom today after going ahead with her wedding reception following his last-minute disappearance.

Donna Marie Mooney, 22, said she feared for Said Belhassani’s safety, as it was out of character for her husband-to-be to go anywhere without telling her.




“He is just perfect, it is not like him to just up and leave like that without any word or contact or even a phone call,” she said.

The heartbroken mother, who has two young children with the Algerian, said she was devastated when she realised he was not coming to the church in Arklow, Co Wicklow, in Ireland.

“I am really hoping that he comes back to me alive, but something deep down is telling me that is not going to happen,” she said.

Mr Belhassani was last seen on his stag night last Friday.

“If he walked through the door, I’d hug him and kiss him for two or three days, then I would just knock him out,” she joked.

She appealed to him that if he got a case of cold feet, he should simply ring her to let her know he is safe.

Mr Belhassani, who was also known as Gerry, was originally from Algeria, and had been living in Ireland for 10 years.

Miss Mooney said the 31-year-old – who is currently awaiting deportation – had sought asylum last year to make his residence legal for their marriage.

She said he was Muslim and normally did not drink alcohol, but was very drunk at his stag party in Arklow town on the eve of their wedding day.

Her brother Paul said he “couldn’t even walk sideways, he was completely wasted“.

“The last words he said to me were ’I love ya and I’ll see you at the altar tomorrow and we will be husband and wife’,” Miss Mooney said.

She is worried he may have fallen into the river in Arklow, or may have been attacked as he struggled to make his way home.

Miss Mooney said the family checked with emergency services and gardai after they found no trace of Mr Belhassani the following morning – just hours before the wedding.

“I just couldn’t go to the church, I really couldn’t, it was so heartbreaking. I knew if he could get to a phone or something, he would have rung me to let me know he was OK,” she said.

Father Vincent McDevitt, who was due to marry the pair, gave a reading from the bible and prayed for Mr Belhassani’s safe return.

The priest added: “We had a practice the night before and Said was very happy. There were no fears at all.”

Miss Mooney said she went ahead with her wedding reception for family and 100 guests at the Arklow Bay Hotel to avoid letting down their guests.

“I didn’t go with my wedding dress or anything like that,” she said.

She said she had cancelled the original wedding reception entertainment but one of her close friends set up karaoke and disco music.

“By half twelve she was trying to cheer up the night, she had us all up doing ’Rock the Boat’,” she told RTE News.

Donna said her groom would not have left his children – two-year-old Keane and 11-month-old Rachid.

She said she has tried everything to locate him, even contacting his family in Algeria, who are also worried for his safety, and has ruled out his deportation without them being informed.

Mr Belhassani has been described as around 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build, with sallow skin and short hair. He was wearing blue jeans, a wine T-shirt and a brown jacket with writing across the chest when he went missing.

Gardai confirmed they are investigating his disappearance but said there has been no sign of him so far.

Brides father dies on Budapest stag weekend

A grieving bride-to-be has postponed her wedding after her father died on her fiancé's stag weekend.
Colin Byham (49) of Acton Square, Sudbury, was on his way back from Budapest with future son-in-law, Sudbury-based police officer Scott Lee-Amies, when he died on the flight back to Stansted Airport on Sunday.
Daughter Emily, a station clerk at Sudbury Police Station, was due to marry Scott this Saturday at Long Melford's Bull Hotel but the couple have now postponed their special day.

Emily (24) said: "We are devastated. Dad was a popular man in town and knew so many people because he'd been local all his life. He was born in Melford Road.
"He got on with people whatever their age and was the life and soul of the party."
Close friend Ian Witt said Mr Byham would be greatly missed.
"He was a very funny guy and had been local to Sudbury all his life.
"He knew a lot of people and will be sorely missed by everyone. I'd known him for 25 years. It's very sad."

Another friend Geoffrey McGregor, who has known Mr Byham for almost 15 years, this week paid tribute to him.
"He loved Sudbury and was very proud of this town," said Mr McGregor who runs Napier Antiques in Church Street, Sudbury.
He added: "Colin was a real local character and an all-round fun guy. He was very well-known and was very sociable."
Mr McGregor said Mr Byham, who also leaves another daughter, Sarah (19), was a prominent member of the Sudbury Institute Club in Station Road.
He was heavily involved in this year's club beer festival, which starts a week tomorrow.
"Colin was very much a part of the organisation of the beer festival and put a lot of effort into it.

"He was very much looking forward to the launch of the event.
Mr Byham was a former instructor at the Colchester Institute, teaching motor trade skills to students.
An inquest will be held into Mr Byham's death and funeral details have not yet been confirmed by the family.

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