British man, ‘hangs himself’ after being detained in US immigration facility for beating his wife

A 39-year-old British man Ben James Owen, has died after being detained in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in America.

According to Mirror Online, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman confirmed that they are in contact with US authorities after a British man died in Florida.

The man died in ICE custody on Saturday with an initial cause of death given as ‘self-inflicted strangulation,’ a source told BuzzfeedNews.

The FCO spokesperson said, “Our staff are in contact with US authorities following the death of a British man in Florida.”

It is understood FCO staff are in contact with the man’s wife, while the US authorities have launched an investigation.

Owen, who entered the US on a temporary visa in July, was arrested earlier this month by the Port Orange Police Department on charges of felony aggravated stalking, felony false imprisonment, domestic assault and violating the conditions of his pretrial release.

ICE officials said Owen, whose wife reportedly lives in the US, was awaiting trial for a domestic battery charge related to an incident in November 2019.

Three days after Owen was arrested by Port Orange Police, he was taken into the ICE custody. On January 12, he was served his notice for removal by the US immigration enforcement agency.