'It's been great to know you mate': Andrew Chan's last words to a priest before he hugged all the death row inmates and left to be shot dead
- Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were killed on Wednesday
- The Bali Nine duo were shot dead by a firing squad in Indonesia
- Priest Charlie Burrows was with them on prison island Nusakambangan
- He was hugged by Chan on Tuesday night, two hours before Chan died
- Myuran Sukumaran also called out goodbye to the other inmates
- Pair wore tunics with black marker over their hearts to guide firing squad
- Chan faced firing squad wearing his beloved Penrith Panthers jersey
- Priest Charlie Burrows says that prison guards were crying at the end
- Their bodies arrived in Jakarta after a 10-hour journey from Cilacap
- All eight death row prisoners refused to wear blindfolds as they were killed
- The friends died next to each other at one end of the line of men
Reformed Bali Nine ringleader Andrew Chan's final words to his fellow inmates before he was executed were 'It's been great to know you, mate' as he hugged them goodbye, a priest has claimed.
Father Charlie Burrows, who provides counsel to prisoners on Nusakambangan Island in Indonesia, has revealed his last encounter with the 31-year-old who was put to death early on Wednesday morning for his part in a 2005 heroin smuggling ring.
Father Burrows also told Daily Mail Australia Chan's fellow drug smuggling ringleader, Myuran Sukumaran, called out goodbye to the other inmates as he walked passed their cells and was led away to the spot where he would die.
The Irish-born priest who has lived on Cilacap, the nearest port to 'Death Island', for 40 years said he was hugged by Chan about 10.15pm on Tuesday night, just over two hours before he faced the firing squad.
Father Charlie Burrows has revealed the final thing Andrew Chan said to him before he was taken away to die
Andrew Chan, who was granted his wish to marry Febyanti Herewila before he died, hugged the other death row prisoners goodbye
'[Chan] walked into the cell where I was with Okwudili [Oyotanze] and Raheem [Agbaje Salami],' he said.
'He had chains around his hands so he put his hands around them one at a time.
'He said something like "It's been great to know you, mate".'
'I was there and he put his arms around me. I said: "I'm sorry this is happening to you".'
Father Burrows said Chan and Sukumaran had the most visitors out of all the inmates during their time at Nusakambangan.
When the eight people on death row were taken to the spot of the execution, he said the prison officers and wardens shed tears for the doomed group.
'The guards, it was breaking their hearts,' Father Burrows said.
Roman Catholic priest Charlie Burrows (L), waits beside Indonesian police security for a ferry to carry officials and families to Nusakambangan maximum security prison island
Father Burrows said Chan and Sukumaran had the most visitors out of all the inmates during their time at Nusakambangan
Execution ground: Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were killed at this clearing at Nusakambangan
Prisoners were tied to a cross with cable ties, Father Burrows confirmed
The Catholic priest, who preaches at St Stephen's in Cilacap, also revealed a woman believed to be Chan's mother broke down after saying goodbye to her son for the last time.
'I see his mother crying. Her child was going to die,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'[Other family members] were trying to console her.
'If the whole thing could be videoed and everyone saw it, anyone would be against the death penalty.'
Father Burrows said Chan and Sukumaran remained strong, as did other inmates, for their families to prevent them from suffering.
He added reports that prisoners were tied to a cross with cable ties had been misconstrued and the act was a sign of mercy.
An ambulance carrying a coffin bearing Myuran Sukumaran's body makes it way through Cilacap
Ambulances with the bodies of the eight men executed by Indonesia overnight were pictured arriving at Cilacap port from the prison island
Journalists photograph the passing ambulance in Jakarta transporting the body of executed Australian drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran on Wednesday
A police escort leads the way as an ambulance carrying Myuran Sukumaran's body, followed by a second ambulance carrying Chan's, arrive in Jakarta
The priest said this happened so the 12 executioners could deliver their shot cleanly to reduce the risk of a slow and painful death.
He said during the first execution it took some people seven to eight minutes to die because they moved and were not shot directly in the heart.
Chan and Sukumaran were executed alongside Nigerians Raheem Agbaje Salami, Martin Anderson, Silvester Obiekwe Nowolise and Okwudili Oyotanze along with Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte and Indonesian Zainal Abidin.
Chan was wearing wore his beloved Penrith Panthers rugby league jersey when he was executed, his devastated brother has revealed.
Michael Chan told The Daily Telegraph that as he faced the firing squad during his last few minutes on earth he was wearing his most treasured possession - the top of his beloved NRL team.
Andrew Chan pictured wearing a Penrith Panthers jersey alongside Matius Arif and Myuran Sukumaran
Andrew Chan smiles as he places a ring on his bride Febyanti Herewila's finger, fulfilling one of his final wishes at their prison wedding on Nusakambangan island on Sunday
An Indonesian worker makes a box that will carry the coffin of either Chan or Sukumaran on Wednesday at Condelence House in Jakarta. From here the bodies will be flown back to Sydney
A carpenter saws into pieces of wood at Condelence House in Jakarta as he makes a box to place the coffins of Chan or Sukumaran into
Rest in peace: Reformed drug smugglers Andrew Chan (left) and Myuran Sukumaran (right) were put to death at 3:25am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday morning
'He told me he was going to wear his Panthers jersey, and he did,' says Michael.
No comments:
Post a Comment