The mother of a teenager who was laid to rest without his heart is appealing for her son to be remembered following his tragic death overseas.
Harry Begg, 19, passed away after an alleged hit-and-run incident in Tenerife on December 1, 2025. Shortly before Harry’s funeral, Spanish authorities informed his mother, Nicola Gardner, that his body had been repatriated to the UK without his heart for further examination. Nicola, hailing from Liverpool, disclosed that Spanish law enforcement had initiated a murder probe into her son’s untimely demise.
Harry, a resident of Kirkby, was riding an electric bike in Arona, located south of the island, when he was reportedly struck by a driver who fled the scene without stopping for the 19-year-old.
Suffering severe head injuries, Harry tragically succumbed to his wounds at the scene. He had left Liverpool for the Spanish island 18 months prior to his tragic death.
Expressing her grief, Nicola emphasized, “I refuse to let Harry’s memory fade away. He was a remarkable individual who should never be forgotten, and I firmly believe that.”
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Nicola expressed her anger at the delayed repatriation of her son’s body to the UK, which took place three weeks after his passing. The coroner’s office for Liverpool and Wirral was informed of Harry’s death on New Year’s Eve, 30 days post the incident. His funeral reportedly occurred at All Saint’s Church in Anfield on January 6, with his burial postponed for two days due to bureaucratic hurdles with Spanish authorities.
Questioning the circumstances, Nicola demanded answers regarding the prolonged retention of Harry’s body in Spain and the preservation of his heart. She added, “It was a head injury. If they had retained his brain, I could comprehend, but keeping his heart is perplexing.”
According to the Echo, a Spanish investigator clarified that Harry’s heart is being conserved for further analysis as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into his demise.
Harry was the youngest of four brothers and passed away just weeks shy of his 20th birthday. His brothers, Thomas, 21, Ted, 25, and Nicholas, 27, are devastated by the loss. Nicola shared, “Thomas and Harry were inseparable. They were always together. Thomas is shattered.”
Nicola had not seen Harry since he relocated to Tenerife 18 months before his demise. Recalling their last conversation, she mentioned, “He went there for a vacation and decided to stay because he loved it. We talked on Facetime, and a few days before the incident, he told me, ‘Mom, with a passport, you could be sitting next to me in six hours.’ That’s when I rushed to get an emergency passport. Unfortunately, my first visit to see him was futile as I was denied access without a translator.”
Expressing her perpetual anguish, Nicola stated, “I doubt I will ever be able to move on from this. I feel lost. Someone out there knows something.”
