Wife’s plea to free husband from spy hell
Industry is stunned by 21yr-old’s death
Matthew and Daniela THE wife of a student held in the UAE on spy charges has called on the Government to help free him.
Matthew Hedges, 31, has been in solitary confinement since he was arrested in May, accused of gathering security information for the UK Government.
His wife, Daniela Tejada, 27, said: “I am calling on the UK Government to clarify publicly that Matt is innocent of the charges. The charges are false.”
She said Matthew, a PHD student at Durham University, was researching UAE security strategy.
Last week, he finally saw a lawyer, who was given a fortnight to prepare a case.
Daniela said: “To call this a fair judicial process is highly inaccurate.”
The Foreign Office said it is “deeply concerned”. Tragic model A PROMISING young model died suddenly on Monday night, hours after telling friends her trust had been broken.
Mairead O’neill, 21, had spent the early evening with two pals in Belfast before going home where she took to posting on Facebook.
Emergency services were unable to save her and Mairead, from the Markets area of Belfast, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her passing has devastated her family including her brother Brendan, sister Bronagh and aunt Donna O’neill, who had been supporting her following the recent death of her mother Karen Pelan to cancer.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the modelling industry.
Agency boss Cathy Martin of CMPR had worked with Mairead for six years and said the university graduate had shown huge promise as a model.
She added: “It’s such a shock to hear Mairead has passed away. We don’t know exactly what happened but she has been having a very difficult time following the death of her mum.
SUPPORT
“She had a lot of support but her heart was broken. She had lost her anchor. It’s so sad to think she is gone now too.
“Mairead was a clever, grounded and smart young lady who was beautiful.
“She had a lot of strengths and had a Kardashian look that people loved.
“But what was most charming about her is she really had no idea she had the world at her feet.
“She was a head-turner in looks and personality. Feisty and shy, able and then sometimes a bit awkward, so young but wise too.”
Mairead was seen by thousands modelling in Belfast Fashion Week and as a make-up artist for Oonagh Boman. She also worked at the latest Carl Frampton fight in Belfast.
Julie Rooney, close friend of Mairead’s mother Karen, has set up a funding page to help meet funeral costs with the permisson of the model’s siblings.
She said: “As people are aware this beautiful child has taken her own life just 10 months after her beautiful mother died.
“As its the mouth of Christmas I know people are struggling financially as it is, but every little helps.”