The mother of a British teenager killed in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Tenerife has spoken of her profound distress after discovering her son was buried without his heart, which Spanish authorities retained for their investigation.
Family's Discovery Hours Before Funeral
Harry Begg, a 19-year-old from Kirkby in Merseyside, tragically died on December 1 while riding an electric bike in Arona, Tenerife. The incident, described by Spanish investigators as a "criminal death," involved a driver who reportedly struck Harry and failed to stop, leaving the teenager with catastrophic head injuries.
After his body was repatriated to the UK, his mother Nicola Gardner, 50, received devastating news just hours before his funeral on January 6. The Spanish coroner informed her they had decided to retain Harry's heart for further examination as part of their ongoing murder investigation.
"The Biggest Part of Harry"
"The biggest part of Harry was his heart," Nicola told the Liverpool ECHO. "If Harry loved you, he loved you with everything. The biggest part of Harry is stuck in Tenerife, where he was killed; left like a dog to die in the road. We've buried him without it."
She expressed particular frustration that the heart was retained despite the cause of death being severe head trauma. "There was no need for them to take the heart. He had a healthy heart, and he died of a catastrophic head injury. There was no peace for me at the funeral, no closure," she added.
Investigation Progress Concerns
Spanish police have launched a murder investigation into Harry's death, with messages viewed by the ECHO confirming the case is being treated as a "criminal death." Investigators stated Harry's heart "is being preserved pending further testing as the investigation progresses."
However, Nicola voiced significant concerns about the pace of the investigation. "I haven't cried properly. Every time I look at a picture of him my head explodes because of the lack of investigation," she said. "The Spanish police have told me they have two eye-witness statements, and still nothing. This is my baby and they think that just because he's out of the country now it doesn't matter."
Family's Grief and Delayed Burial
Harry was the youngest of four brothers, with his 20th birthday approaching in just two weeks. His brothers Thomas, 21, Ted, 25, and Nicholas, 27, have been described as "devastated" by the loss.
Nicola shared that Harry and Thomas were particularly close: "Thomas and Harry were like peas in a pod. You didn't get one without the other. He's broken."
The burial itself faced complications, with Harry laid to rest two days after his funeral mass due to paperwork issues with Spanish authorities. Nicola revealed the Spanish coroner informed her about the retained heart the day before the funeral, promising to call back after she had calmed down, but never did.
Remembering Harry
Nicola paid tribute to her son's character, describing him as "caring, lovely, dead funny, and if he loved you, he loved you. He was dead clever and witty. He had an answer for everything."
Harry had been living in Tenerife for 18 months after initially visiting on holiday and deciding to stay. Nicola recalled their last conversation: "About three days before it happened, he said to me 'Just think mum, if you get a passport, in six hours you could be sat next to me.' Then I had to get an emergency passport."
Ongoing Support and Official Responses
The grieving mother revealed she is being supported by Harry's friends, who call her daily to check on her wellbeing. She noted the church was "heaving" at his funeral, reflecting the impact he had on those around him.
Liverpool and Wirral's coroner's office was informed of Harry's death on New Year's Eve, 30 days after the incident, and confirmed their investigation remains ongoing.
Regarding UK police involvement, Nicola stated Merseyside Police hadn't been in contact about Harry's death. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police responded: "We have been made aware of the death of Harry Begg in Tenerife. The investigation into his death sits with the Spanish police but we are in the process of contacting his family to offer our support."
Nicola concluded with a heartfelt plea: "Somebody knows something. You can't run a 19-year-old over and kill them and keep that to yourself. I don't have the words for them. Evil walks among us. If I had done that, I'd be crucified by my conscience. He's never going to be a man, he's never going to have children of his own."
