The heartbroken mum of Chris Garrett has expressed pride at her son’s achievements having turned his life around.

Hazel Garrett says she has been overwhelmed by the messages of support and condolence she has received since Chris was tragically killed.

Armed forces veteran Chris, of Peel, had been working tirelessly to detonate and disarm explosive devices and bombs placed around Ukraine by Russian soldiers ever since Putin first annexed Crimea in 2014.

Chris, 40, and his team from the charity Prevail Together – which he co-founded – stepped up their work after Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Sadly, Prevail Together Ambassador and board member Shaun Pinner has confirmed Chris died in the city of Izyum on Tuesday, May 6, alongside Australian national Nick Parsons.

Chris, also known as Swampy, and his team were dismantling an improvised explosive device (IED) at the time in the Ukrainian city of Izyum.

Life had not been straightforward for Chris, and he became something of a troublesome teen, getting into trouble in his younger years. But despite his troubled formative years, he turned his life around and was regarded as a hero by many following his time in Ukraine.

‘I am really proud of what Chris has done,’ Hazel said. ‘He has been referred to as a lovable rogue when he was younger. He was a sweet little boy but went off the rails a bit as a teenager.

‘It has not always been easy with Chris but I can look at what he achieved now with pride. I can brag about him a little bit.

‘I have had so many lovely messages from friends and one even wrote a lovely poem.’

Hazel spoke of the moment Chris began his fascination with the military.

‘When he was young, I was meant to take him to a badminton club but we went past the army cadets, and he was immediately interested.

‘When he was 15 he went to the Army Foundation College in Harrogate but he hurt his knee rock climbing and had to leave but he did so with all the necessary recommendations.’

After that, Chris became something of a lost soul and fell in with a bad crowd which resulted in some time in prison.

‘He lost his way for a while,’ Hazel admitted. ‘But he worked on the fishing boats for a while and enjoyed that.

‘He then became a tree surgeon after working at a garden centre. He was a good tree surgeon by all accounts.’

Perhaps one of the most strained moments between Chris and his mum came when he decided to build a new life abroad and pursue a military career.

He travelled to Myanmar in 2008, where he joined the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). His grandfather had served during the Burma campaign in the Second World War

Garrett made several visits to Myanmar, being smuggled in through the jungle on the Thai border, although rather than fighting, he focused his efforts on landmine clearance.

But Hazel said: ‘When he went to Myanmar I was upset. I could not understand why he was involved in someone else’s war. It was strange to me and we fell out over it.’

In 2014, Chris went to Ukraine at a time when Russia annexed the Crimea with Ukrainian force fighting pro-Russian separatists.

Kyiv’s forces were desperately short of skilled soldiers and Chris ended up joining the Azov Battalion, a nationalist volunteer unit that was at the forefront of the fighting.

After one incident where he came face-to-face with a Russian separatist, he did not want to be involved in combat anymore, instead, focussing on mine clearance.

‘Chris promised me he would not go back to Ukraine,’ Hazel recalls. ‘But he did and then he also said he would not go to the frontline but was only there to aid with provisions.

‘But, bit by bit, he edged his way in and moved to Kyiv.

‘I was constantly scared, and he left me with a contact number to call which I used a few times. He was always on the move and the best way to know if he was safe was to find out if he had been online recently.

‘Of course, I got the news I dreaded. It is horrible but now, at least, I don’t have to keep looking at the news all the time.’

Chris returned to the UK from Ukraine in 2017 but headed back there four days after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Rather than active combat, he focused on mine clearance. He also taught other Ukrainians how to clear mines and diffuse explosives.

Chris met his partner Courtney Pollock while in Ukraine where she worked as a volunteer paramedic from the US. They have a one-year-old daughter Reed.

‘Chris loved being a dad,’ Hazel said. ‘I could see the love for Reed in his eyes.

‘I did hope being a father would encourage to take a step back but I knew he wouldn’t really.

‘Both Chris and Courtney knew clearing the explosives in Ukraine was a job for life but they would never take Reed there while the war goes on.’

Together they founded the Prevail Together charity which aims to dispose of explosives as well as provide medical assistance and humanitarian aid.

In a statement issued this week, the charity said: ‘We are still unable to comment on any matters regarding the deaths of a British and Australian national as we are currently collaborating with the local authorities.

‘We have been in direct communication with the families involved, and our primary focus still remains on facilitating their return home. We kindly ask for your understanding and respect for their privacy during this challenging time.

‘A formal statement will be issued at the appropriate time. Thank you for your understanding.’

The legacy of Prevail Together will provide some solace for Hazel.

‘It was Chris’s and Courtney’s dream to make things better for the people of Ukraine,’ she said. ‘They put their heart and soul into it.’

Hazel understands Courtney moved to Poland with her mum and Reed. She has since gone to Kyiv while her mum and Reed remain in Poland.

A remembrance service will be held in the Ukraine capital for Chris and Nick on Saturday.

The focus for Hazel and the wider family is to bring Chris’s body back home but it could be some time before his funeral takes place at Peel Cathedral.

Chris became close with the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade and they have said they will help fund Chris’s repatriation.

‘They say they feel honoured to assist in this process which is lovely,’ Hazel said.

A gofundme page to help with Chris’s repatriation and funeral expenses has also hit nearly £40,000. But there is much red tape to navigate and even when he returns it could be delayed by the TT races with the crematorium closed during that period.

In March, Chris was handed a 14-and-a-half-year prison sentence by Russia which means he would have been jailed if he stepped foot on Russian soil or was captured in Ukraine.

He was tried in his absence by a court in Donetsk, a region of Ukraine which is currently under Russian control.

He last returned to the Isle of Man in 2023 after his partner Courtney Pollock became pregnant. But Chris returned to Ukraine to carry out his work with Prevail Together.

Away from his work on the frontlines, Hazel said Chris loved singing and was involved in music festivals. He also played piano and was the bassist in a band.

‘I will miss Chris’s cheeky side,’ Hazel said. ‘He turned his life around and found his place in life.

‘He will have an amazing send off when he returns to the Isle of Man. He loved being the centre of attention. He will leave this world in the way he would have wanted.’