...ensuring another hapless british tourist is kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed.http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4210285/Cry-freedom.html






Cry freedom


Judith tells of grief at losing
hubby and joy at seeing son





Freed ... Judith in Adado, Somalia, after release




By ALEX PEAKE




Published: Today at 02:24





KIDNAPPED British tourist Judith Tebbutt had a tearful reunion with her son
last night after being dramatically freed yesterday.






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Judith had been held hostage for six months by Somali pirates who murdered her
husband.


A ransom said to be more than £500,000 was dropped to the pirates
by air.


She was handed over to a security expert wearing a bullet-proof vest and an
Indiana Jones-style hat — and they dashed across a runway to a waiting
plane.


Judith said as she flew to meet up with son Oliver, who led efforts to
secure her release: "I'm very relieved and happy."


The private security firm which secured her freedom had been hired by her
family.







Grief ... Judith was in the dark about husband's death for 2 weeks




In a statement later she said she was "overjoyed" at being free — but
"overwhelmed with grief" at the death of her husband David.


And relatives in Britain said they "couldn't stop crying" at the news.







Joy ... Judith talks to family after they secured her release




Judith was freed 193 days after an attack in which thugs ambushed her and
David, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. as they holidayed in Kenya.





Video: Brit hostage freed by pirates
JUDITH Tebbutt, abducted from Kenyan resort last September is let go

[*]Sky News[/*]

David, 58, was shot and killed as he tried to fight the gang off and
Judith, 56, was abducted by speedboat.


The partially-deaf social worker was repeatedly moved around at night in
Somalia, a process she called "very disorientating".


She was finally released yesterday at Adado, a town considered a safe area.


She was taken by a minder to an airfield where a chartered plane waited to fly
her to Kenyan capital Nairobi.







Killed ... Judith's husband David was shot by Somali pirates




Just before boarding, Judith praised Oliver, 25, for arranging her release
saying: "I don't know how he did it, but he did."


After arriving in Nairobi she issued a statement through the British High
Commission saying: "I am hugely relieved to be free and overjoyed to be
reunited with Ollie.


"However, my joy is overwhelmed by my immense grief, shared by the family,
following David's passing in September last year."


Judith later revealed that she was not even aware David had died at first.


She said: "I didn't know he'd died until about was two weeks from my capture.
I assumed he was alive."


A UK Government spokesman declined to comment on the ransom but said it was
official policy not to negotiate with pirates. However, he said Judith's
case was raised in at least 20 meetings of Whitehall's emergency Cobra
committee over the last six months.


A pirate identifying himself as Ahmed said a ransom of £500,000 had been
received. Another £88,000, went to brokers and handlers.


Judith's sister-in-law Ann Milligan, 58, of Ulverston, Cumbria, said: said:
"We're absolutely over the moon. When I first heard about it I couldn't stop
crying but now we are celebrating."

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