Paul Urey’s family raise enough to fly body home from Ukraine

Paul Urey was detained by Russian separatists along fellow Brit Dylan Healy in April, while driving to help a woman and two children near a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

The Culcheth man, aged 45, died in captivity in July, according to the human rights ombudsperson for the Moscow-supported leadership in Donetsk, Daria Morozova.

She branded Mr Urey a 'mercenary', for which a Moscow prosecutor said the maximum penalty is the death sentence, and claimed he died in captivity of chronic illnesses and stress.

"From our side, he was given the necessary medical assistance despite the grave crimes he committed," she added.

However, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier this month that Mr Urey's body had been returned 'with signs of possible unspeakable torture'.

Chelsea Coman, Mr Urey’s daughter, managed to raise more than £8,000 on GoFundMe to bring his body home.

This came after the 20-year-old and her 17-year-old sister Courtney were told by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that they would need to pay nearly £10,000 in repatriation costs.

Paul Urey (Image: PA)

Mr Urey’s family said he had type-one diabetes as well as a heart condition, but he was denied access to medication around eight weeks before his death.

“He doesn’t deserve to be out there at the minute,” said Ms Coman, who is a full-time parent to her two-year-old daughter.

“It would set our mind at ease to be able to lay him to rest and know that he is not in a different country still suffering even though he has died. We would get closure.”

Her stepfather, Christopher Chadderton, said it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see what the aid worker’s daughters were going through.

He also criticised the Foreign Office for leaving his stepdaughters ‘in a state of limbo, not knowing whether they could get their father back’.

“For me personally, it does not sit right,” he said.

“Rather than saying, ‘don’t worry about the money, we will get your dad back,’ it was a case of, ‘to bring your dad back is going to cost this much.’

Paul Urey with his daughters Chelsea and Courtney when they were younger (Image: PA) (Image: PA)

“I do not understand how they could lead on two young girls in a situation (they were in) and they were grieving and confused, (there was) a lot of anger.

“I am very proud of what they have done, what they have achieved and how they have gone about this.

“But I think a lot of it was unnecessary, and it should not have been put on such young shoulders such a huge responsibility.”

The GoFundMe for the cause surpassed £8,300 on Friday, which Ms Coman described as ‘overwhelming’.

“It is very overwhelming because a lot of strangers across the world have taken the time to write these messages and send money over to help us, and they do not even know us,” she added.

“Without the GoFundMe and all these strangers giving us the money to help us bring dad home, I do not think we would have possibly been able to do it.

“We have never seen that kind of money in our lives.”

An Foreign Office spokesman said: “We have supported Paul’s family throughout this ordeal and will continue to work with the Ukrainian authorities to get him home.

Video emerged of Paul Urey on Russian state TV being interviewed wearing handcuffs in early May (Image: Unknown)

“Our thoughts remain with the Urey family at this difficult time.

“The FCDO is unfortunately not able to pay for the repatriation of British nationals who have died overseas.”

Before his death, video emerged on Russian state TV on May 4 showing an interview with the Warrington man, who was asked questions while in handcuffs as to why he was in Ukraine.

Liz Truss, who was Foreign Secretary at the time, said she was 'shocked' by reports of the death of Mr Urey, who had type one diabetes and required insulin shots.

"Russia must bear the full responsibility for this," she said in a statement.

"Paul Urey was captured while undertaking humanitarian work. He was in Ukraine to try and help the Ukrainian people in the face of the unprovoked Russian invasion.

"The Russian government and its proxies are continuing to commit atrocities. Those responsible will be held to accountable. My thoughts are with Mr Urey's family and friends at this horrendous time."