GLASGOW AIRPORT terror attack hero John Smeaton and American wife Christy MacPhedran have split.
The couple got together after a whirlwind romance following the June 2007 failed suicide bomb attack. Baggage handler ‘Smeato’ shot to worldwide fame for tackling crazed Iraqi junior doctor Bilal Abdulla, as he attempted to force his way into the main terminal building. The 39-year-old’s bravery saw him become a household name around the globe, and it was while at a charity event in the US he met New Yorker Christy. Their romance captured the nation’s heart and the smitten pair tied the knot in July 2009. But sadly they have now gone their separate ways. John, who has remained in America, last night said: “It’s just one of those things, we grew apart. “It’s been a very difficult time for me personally, and I still love Christy to bits. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a tough period, but bit by bit things are getting back on track. “Life moves on and you just have to try your best to deal with it. “I’ve certainly no regrets, but there’s nothing else for it, I’ve just got to try my best to get on with my life.” John’s life changed in an instant while on a cigarette break from his baggage handling job at the airport when a flaming Jeep loaded with propane canisters smashed into the terminal building. Realising it was an attack, and filled with adrenaline, he weighed in and directed a kick at Abdulla as accomplice Kafeel Ahmed rolled around on the ground “head to toe in flames”. It was then during a television interview an hour later, John famously said terrorists were not welcome in Scotland’s biggest city, adding “This is Glasgow. We’ll set about you”.
In September 2007 he met Christy, a data analyst, at an event for the Scottish Society in New York, and love blossomed. Two years later the couple married at Balgonie Castle, Fife, and went on to set-up home in the US. But John last night confirmed the pair had been separated for some time. “I’ve been trying to keep my head down and deal with the situation and get my head around it,” he said. “Anyone who has been through a break-up will know all the different emotions that are involved and run through your head. “I suppose the main one is just wondering what to do. “Christy and I had two different lifestyles, and we just drifted apart. “Neither of us were happy and to be fair to both of us, we couldn’t live like that anymore.” Despite his love split heartache, John says he wouldn’t change “any of it for the world”. “The whole relationship was a whirlwind and you know what, it was brilliant,” he added. John, originally from Erskine, Renfrewshire, insists he has no intention of coming back to Scotland. He added: “These days I don’t really talk about what happened at the airport. I just try to keep my head down and get on with it. “At the moment I am training to be a carpenter and staying in Queens (New York). “I did it after High School, I’m loving getting back into it and I’ve got a good life.” The Sunday Post attempted to contact Christy but could not reach her for comment.
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