THE dad of a Scot injured in an oil rig attack in Qatar has told of his “complete shock” after a worker was allegedly battered to death by his roommate.
The suspected killer is said to have attacked the man, named locally as Chris Begley, after he discovered the death scene.
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The bloodbath sparked a cop lockdown of the offshore platform in the Arabian Gulf.
The victim was allegedly bludgeoned to death with an oxygen tank while Mr Begley who went to look for his missing pal was savagely attacked.
The horror unfolded in the early hours of Monday and it’s believed all three men are Scottish.
The alleged killer – understood to be from Aberdeen – is said to have fatally battered his victim in the cabin they shared.
He is then said to have attacked Mr Begley on the Seafox Burj platform.
Cops flew out in choppers and locked the rig down as they launched a murder probe.
An insider said: “He murdered the guy then very calmly went about trying to cover up what he’d done.
“He said he’d had some kind of family emergency and wanted to be flown off the rig as soon as possible.
“But it looks as if he was planning to throw the body over the side before he got on the chopper.”
All three men were contractors for Aberdeenshire-based Ocean-Film, which supplies remotely operated vehicles and specialists.
It’s believed the victim was from Aberdeenshire and had only recently become a father.
Pals said he was about to fly home for a wedding.
He died in the early hours of Monday morning when he was attacked with the hefty breathing equipment.
It’s understood the second victim, Mr Begley, was an ROV pilot from Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.
His father, Dennis Begley, 64, said: “They all work together. There’s been no animosity between any of them. This seems to be completely random.
“There wasn’t any bad feeling among them or anything like that. That’s why it’s pretty bizarre. There was no indication of any problem or anything within them.
“There certainly wasn’t any ill feeling among any of them so I don’t know what’s happened.
“He never saw the body.
“He went into the room but he never seen the body. Basically, he got hit over the head with something.
“I think it was a pipe.
“He’s fine. Bashed in the head a bit. But he’s okay. Nothing life-threatening.
“There’ve been reports that he was in a coma but that’s not true. He’s back home in Scotland.
“All hell broke loose and the guy hit him over the head before he strangled him.
“Luckily there was so much commotion that the other workers heard it and went to help.
“They had to break down the door but they were able to get the attacker off of him. They probably saved his life.”
A picture claimed to be from the rig shows one of the tanks lying on the ground while the front door of a cabin is barricaded with a mattress.
It’s believed the alleged killer wrapped the body in a blanket in the bathroom before he went for something to eat.
One oil worker said: “This is the talk of the industry. No one can believe something as crazy as this has happened on a rig.
“It appears as if the guy has had a complete mental breakdown and his room-mate has tragically paid the price.”
The alleged killer was taken into custody by officers in Qatar while his second victim was rushed to hospital.
Fortunately the injured man was quickly released and was back home in Scotland yesterday with a bandaged head.
He declined to comment.
It’s claimed another witness was flown off the rig and met by bosses as he was quizzed by the authorities.
The platform is owned and operated by North Oil Company and one of 33 in the huge Al-Shaheen field around 50 miles off the coast of Qatar.
Word of the tragedy quickly spread among stunned oil workers.
One said: “That is Christmas absolutely destroyed for at least two families.
“Working offshore is a tough job. The isolation and being away from your family for weeks at a time can be really hard to deal with.
“It’s good money but it’s a big sacrifice to make. It’s so sad that this has happened.”
An official from Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said: “Law enforcement authorities are investigating a 12 December incident at an offshore facility.
“The incident involved three British nationals working for a contractor company.
“One individual sustained fatal injuries, another was hospitalised and released. A third individual has been detained as part of a criminal investigation by the relevant authorities.”
A Film-Ocean spokesman added: “We can regretfully confirm one person has been fatally wounded and another has been injured following a non-work related incident on an offshore installation off Qatar.
“A third person has been taken into police custody and is assisting Qatari authorities with their inquiries.
“The injured worker received treatment in hospital in Qatar, but has since been released.
The next of kin of those involved have been informed, and the company is working to ensure they receive the appropriate support.
“Film-Ocean is liaising with the Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as other stakeholders, to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died and a man who has been injured in Qatar and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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