A British tourist who was jailed in Egypt for patting an airport security guard on the back has today thanked the MailOnline for helping to secure his release from custody in Egypt.
Tony Camoccio, 51, was held at the notorious Police Station One Hurghada jail for five days after the official falsely accused him of sexual assault, as he headed home from a family holiday at a Red Sea resort.
But yesterday a judge brought his nightmare to an end when he ruled there was insufficient evidence to hold Mr Camoccio and released him.
Looking tired and complaining of a sore throat Mr Camoccio, from Sutton, Surrey, was greeted by about half a dozen relatives at Gatwick Airport before being whisked away.
Speaking briefly alongside his wife Joan and son Remo, Mr Camoccio said: ‘I just want to say thank you to everybody. I am tired, very tired. We just want to get home. All my family are here.
Mr Camoccio was greeted by friends and family today as he arrived at Gatwick Airport on Sunday afternoon
Tony Camoccio, 51, arriving back at Gatwick today accompanied by his wife Joan after a week-long ordeal in an Egyptian jail
Mr Camoccio was all smiles today despite his exhaustion after being held in a grim Egyptian jail cell for patting a security guard on the back
This is the moment Mr Camoccio, from Sutton, in Surrey, was arrested at the airport after the security guard took offence at his actions and accused the Brit of sexual assault
‘I just want to thank everybody but I’ve got to get back home. I’ve got a really sore throat.’
His sister Liz Doody added: ‘We are very relieved that we got him home. We appreciate the help from the public and yourselves [MailOnline].
‘The online support was terrific. It really gathered momentum. And thanks very much for everything.’
Mr Camoccio, who runs a window fitting company, had been living in constant fear after his arrest.
He was crammed into a filthy cell with 25 other inmates, without regular access to food and water, abused by guards in a prison where beatings are handed out freely.
His supporters told how he lay awake at night listening to the screams of other prisoners being tortured and was shaking so much when he first appeared in court that he could not speak.
Tony Camoccio (second from left) pictured after his release with his wife Joan, son Remo (far right) and his lawyer Elezab Ali Elezab
The 51-year-old’s father Peter Camoccio said his son was held in an Egyptian jail cell with no roof and sleeping on a concrete floor with just a blanket for warmth after he was arrested
Tony Camoccio, pictured with his wife Joan and son Remo, is relieved to have left prison
Mr Camoccio’s nightmare began on Saturday February 8 when he jokingly patted a security guard at the airport on the back after he was frisked by the officer at the airport going home
They launched a huge campaign with an online petition attracting more than 5,000 signatures, as well as protesting outside the Egyptian embassy in Mayfair, London.
‘Tony’s friends have done him proud,’ said Christine Sachett, 68, who has known Mr Camoccio’s family for more than 50 years.
‘But the whole country has put their support behind the petition and people all over the world have been signing.
‘I feel on cloud nine. I could not be happier for Tony, his wife and his children. Tony never deserved any of this. Egypt is definitely not on my list of places to go on holiday.’
Mr Camoccio was put in prison in handcuffs after the allegation was made at Hurghada airport on Saturday last week.
For two days his family could not get food, water and clothing to him and he slept on a concrete floor in shorts and T-shirt with just a thin blanket.
The same jail was described as ‘horrendous’ by British woman Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull, who spent two months in the prison in 2018, as part of a 14 month sentence for a drugs offence.
Tony Camoccio (pictured left with his wife Joan, right) a British father-of four has been locked up in an Egyptian prison for five days after patting an airport security guard on the back
Mr Camoccio was at the airport (above) returning to Surrey after a family holiday with his wife Joan and son when he was arrested for patting the security man
Mr Comaccio was thrown into the notorious Hurghada Police Station Number One (above) where British woman Laura Plummer was kept when she was held for smuggling painkillers
Ms Plummer said there were fights every night and she witnessed an inmate being tortured.
Mr Camoccio was back in court exactly one week later to face the charge, which was recorded as ‘harassment’ of the security guard, after the local police requested a further 15 days to investigate the alleged assault
Mr Camoccio’s wife and son were at the court terrified who would be facing another two weeks in Hurghada prison.
In January last year, Ms Plummer (with her boyfriend) was released after 14 months’ jail
However, the case collapsed because the prosecution were unable to provide any CCTV evidence to support their claim that Mr Camoccio had tried to push his finger into the security guard’s bottom.
Mr Camoccio’s family had repeatedly asked to see CCTV footage, but the requests were denied.
Radha Stirling, of Detained in Dubai, a campaign group that supported Mr Camoccio’s family throughout the ordeal, said: ‘While the charges were clearly without merit, we have to emphasize that had British authorities and the international press not paid attention to this case, there is no reason to believe that Tony would be a free man today.
‘The dangers of legal abuse in Egypt are severe and, despite their quick resolution of this case, anyone considering travel to the country should be aware of the risks.
‘As is so often the case for foreigners in the region, unless an international spotlight is shone on their plight, they have no guarantee of safe resolutions when suffering in obscurity.’
Ms Plummer, a shop assistant from Hull was caged for three years on Boxing Day 2017 for bringing 290 tablets of Tramadol into the country on a flight from Manchester to Hurghada