The daughter of murdered Perth aid worker David Haines is making a frantic appeal for the return of the last gift her dad ever gave her.
Bethany Haines has worn the silver bracelet every day since her father’s kidnapping and execution in Syria at the hands of Isis terrorists.
It features a selection of silver star-shaped charms.
And it’s been a daily remember of the bond they shared.
“Whenever he went away he’d always say ‘look up at the stars, I’ll be looking up at them too’,” says Bethany.
But now the bracelet has gone missing somewhere in Perth.
And, as the 10th anniversary of her dad’s death approaches, Bethany is praying that someone will find it and give it back.
“I’ve been trying to keep thinking it will turn up, because I don’t think I can deal with it not turning up,” she said.
“It’s been there through good and bad. It’s irreplaceable.”
Bracelet may be close to home
Bethany noticed the bracelet was missing as she was taking a bath last Saturday August 17.
She has photographs of herself wearing it on the Wednesday before, but is certain she’d have noticed if it had come off between then and the weekend.
She has retraced her steps and is fairly confident the bracelet must be in the Tulloch area of Perth, where she stays.
It’s possible it’s between her home and the local primary school, where she takes her son.
She has reported it missing to the police and says she’ll pay a reward for its return.
‘Stars were kind of our thing’
Bethany still has vivid memories of the day her dad gave her the bracelet in 2013.
She was 15. They were on a visit to her grandparents in Ayr and were enjoying some precious dad and daughter time before he went to Syria.
“We’d gone to the cinema to see Brave, then gone for a coffee,” she recalls.
“And as we were walking up the street we saw it in a jewellery shop.
“He always liked to buy me jewellery, or something nice, before he went away,” she added.
“And stars were kind of our thing.
“I have a star tattoo. It’s kind of my thing now. And I’ve never taken the bracelet off.
“It meant I always had something personal from my dad.”
David Haines’ keepsake precious to his daughter
Former Perth Academy pupil David Haines left for Syria in 2013 to help victims of the war there.
He was captured soon after by Isis and beheaded in September 2014.
The terror group released a video of his execution.
Bethany wore the bracelet when she travelled to Syria to retrace his steps.
And it was on her wrist when she travelled to the US for the trial of her father’s killer – ex-British jihadist El Shafee Elsheikh.
She says she hopes anyone who finds it will understand its sentimental value and find a way to get it back to her.
“I think it cost about £70 at the time,” she said.
“It wouldn’t be overwhelmingly valuable if someone was looking to sell it. But I couldn’t put a price on what it means to me.”
Anyone who finds the bracelet is asked to hand it in to the police, or to contact Bethany through Facebook.
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