Airport attack hero John Smeaton splits from wife

Glasgow Airport hero John Smeaton has separated from his wife. Picture: TSPL

A FORMER baggage handler lauded for his role in tackling the perpetrators of the Glasgow Airport attack has confirmed that he and his wife have separated.

John Smeaton, who became an unlikely hero after tackling Bilal Abdullah and Kafeel Ahmed during the attack in 2007, has parted with American-born Christy MacPhedran.

The couple met just three months after the incident during a Scottish Society event in New York and married six years ago.

Mr Smeaton, 39, later moved to the US but said yesterday he had no plans to return home after his marriage broke up.

“It is just one of those things, we grew apart,” he said.

“It has been a very difficult time for me personally, and I still love Christy to bits.”