My son should have been in a mental health unit, says mother

Victoria Ward Martin Evans KHAIRI SAADALLAH should have been admitted to a mental health unit, his mother has said, as relatives claimed he had been let down by the system.

The 25-year-old, who remains in custody and is being questioned under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and an emotionally unstable personality disorder, according to official documents seen by The Daily Telegraph.

His mother, who is at home in Tripoli, Libya, and does not want to be identified, has called for an investigation into his previous contact with healthcare professionals, warning that something, somewhere had gone wrong. His cousin, who was by her side yesterday and translated for her, said: “She is worried about Khairi and the direction this investigation seems to be taking. She is saying: ‘He is on medication. His mental health has deteriorated since Ramadan. He couldn’t sleep, he had nightmares. He had asked me to pray for him’.

“She said: ‘Why was he out on the streets and not in a mental health centre?’ Last time she spoke to him, she said: ‘Why don’t you come home to us?’ but he said he had made up his mind, this is the country he wanted to live in.”

The family said Saadallah had enjoyed a privileged upbringing in a wealthy suburb of Tripoli, attending private school and summer camps and enjoying regular holidays. He has four brothers and four sisters, all of whom are seasoned travellers, many spending significant time in the UK.

The cousin said: “He moved to the UK because he liked the way of life, he wanted to live freely and in peace. He is very westernised, he is essentially British. I think he had fought – in 2011, everyone in Libya had a gun – but he did not like this way of life. He wore low-slung trousers, he likes rap music and break dancing, he was into fashion, he always had a nice hair cut and nice clothes.”

His family insist his mental health problems were well known and are angry that he had not been provided with the help he needed.

“He needed mental health care ... they all knew that,” his cousin added.