THE partner of a Pembroke man, who had been imprisoned in the Caribbean country of Haiti, has thanked the support of all who helped get him back to Wales.

Jade Laville of Hundleton, feared crane driver Victor ‘Vic’ Barrie Rees would be killed before his trial, after she said he had been arrested and imprisoned despite not been charged with committing any crime.

A Change.org online petition, set up by Jade, called for the British Embassy to return Vic, a crane driver and former doorman at Pembroke’s Paddles nightclub, home safe and sound.

The petition attracted more than 2,700 signatures.

Vic had been working as a crane driver in Haiti for the past 12 months before his arrest on May 21.

Speaking to the Western Telegraph on Friday, Jade said: “This prison had 4,544 inmates. Vic was the only white guy.

“He had to fight for his life, the whole time he was in there, day and night. Vic would have to shower out in the yard. The yard was gravel and dust, no tarmac, he had to strip naked to shower in front of the Haitians.

She added: “The Haitians were after Vic. They wanted to kill him. He has been threatened to be stabbed with a ‘shiv’, a handmade knife, and they’ve had him up by the throat, Vic wasn’t safe. He also wasn’t protected.

“Wednesday May 25: Vic had court again. He was told he could be expecting six-12 months sentence.

“If Vic receives this sentence, he will die in the prison.”

Just a day later Jade received the news Vic was being brought home through the efforts of the British Embassy.

Speaking on Monday, May 30, Jade said: “He’s been home since yesterday, it’s mad. On Friday it was all up in the air, on Saturday the British Embassy really started to get a move on.

“We got him home yesterday, he’s recovering and getting over the ordeal.”

When Jade got the call from the British Embassy to say Vic was returning to the UK on Sunday morning, she and her brother Marc traveled down to Heathrow for an emotional reunion.

“I didn’t quite believe it, when he got out of jail I spoke to him on the phone and he told me himself. It wasn’t until it was actually on the plane that I relaxed, when I saw him at the airport I felt: ‘Thank God for that’.

“When I actually saw him I shouted ‘Babe’ and I just put my arms around him; I just felt relieved and really happy.”

Jade added: “The petition helped and there was a lot of media coverage all over the UK, there were 2,700 people on the petition, which helped a great deal. I just can’t thank them enough, I really can’t; they’ve all been amazing.

“Thank you everyone for everything; the love, the care, the kind supporting words. You have all been absolutely brilliant and I can't thank you all enough. Thank you everyone.”

Jade hopes Vic will now stay in the UK.

“He’s not going abroad again if I’ve got anything to do with it.”