The Co Londonderry mother of a man shot up to 18 times by police in a Spanish hotel room has said she is determined to find out the circumstances around his death.
Sean Hercules, who had lived in Northern Ireland, was shot "multiple times" by officers at the Autosole Aparthotel, Estepona.
The shooting, on the afternoon of September 10, 2018, came after he walked away from a high-speed car crash in Puerto Buenos that morning.
At the time of Mr Hercules' death, police in Spain said the 39-year-old - who had criminal convictions - had fired a weapon at them and claimed they had discovered ammunition in the vehicle. However, that has never been established.
At an inquest last week in Leeds, where Mr Hercules - a married father-of-two - had also lived with his family, the senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin recorded an open verdict, adding that Sean died of "gunshot wounds".
It is believed he was hit by 18 bullets in the legs, arms and body, causing 39 wounds. There were no reports of injuries to the eight police officers at the hotel.
The inquest had initially heard national police officers knocked on Sean's hotel door and he allegedly grabbed two pistols and was killed in a shootout. His mum, Martha Friel, who lives in Coleraine, told the Belfast Telegraph there are still "unanswered questions" about what happened to her eldest son.
"I'm disgusted and I'm devastated," said the 66-year-old.
"He shouldn't have been driving like that, but he didn't deserve to be killed. He wasn't [part of a] cartel."
Sean, who had lived for periods in Northern Ireland, had relocated to Spain to open a barbershop around 10 months earlier.
The inquest heard from West Yorkshire Police that Sean, who owned a salon in Leeds, had convictions in the UK for firearms offences in the past, and had failed to attend a sentencing for possession of an offensive weapon in January 2018.
However, Detective Constable Simon Ridewood stressed that Sean was "not a high priority" and there was no European arrest warrant out on him.
The coroner criticised police in Estepona for "a conspicuous lack of cooperation" and said "refusing" to send any files have not helped "one inch" in the inquest.
Mr McLoughlin noted that Sean was "riddled with bullets" and due to a lack of cooperation from police in Spain, he was unable to determine whether the death was lawful or unlawful, as well as the exact sequence of events prior to Sean's death.
It was also not clear if Sean had a gun with him at the time, he added. "It is an understatement to say that I am disappointed by the actions of the Spanish authorities," said the coroner.
Neither the British Embassy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responded to a request for help, he added.
"There has been radio silence from the Spanish police," added Mr McLoughlin.
Martha, who had a video call - her last conversation with her son - just after his car accident, said she received no help from authorities when she arrived at Malaga Airport to identify his body. "I received a call from one of my son's friends and she said, 'Sean's dead' and I just couldn't believe it," she said. "I'm a pensioner and I went on my own and I sat in the airport for three hours alone."
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it has provided assistance to Mr Hercules' family.
"Mr Hercules' family have our deepest sympathies at what continues to be a difficult time," a spokesperson said.
"Our staff were in regular contact with them following his death and offered extensive support, including organising meetings with the local police and seeking updates from the Spanish courts."
Martha, who is from Leeds but has lived in Northern Ireland for the past 25 years, insisted that she is determined to ensure other families are spared what she has gone through, and is considering legal advice on the matter.
"The truth has to come out. I know it won't bring Sean back, but it can stop it happening to someone else's son or daughter," she stressed. "This just can't keep on happening. It's against human rights. If Sean had done anything wrong, then where's the evidence?"
Sean's wife Sherre (34), a social worker with whom she shared two children, Elsie-Rose (6) and Theo (9) with her late husband, also spoke at the inquest, and revealed that she had planned to relocate their family to Spain once her husband has established his business.
Martha, who has four other grown-up children, said the family had to endure another post-mortem examination once Sean's body was repatriated to the UK because the bullets were still inside him. Her son's grave is in Leeds.
