From hell to Hollywood: Irish mum's 'harrowing' mission to save daughter abducted by dad to Syria set for movie with Nicola Coughlan

When Louise Monaghan waved goodbye to her six-year-old daughter May on September 7, 2011, her biggest worry was whether she would have enough money to buy an ice cream but by the evening her life had turned into every mother's worst nightmare.

May's father and Louise's ex-husband, Mostafa Assad, was taking his daughter out for a custodial visit as he had visiting rights three days a week after they had separated the previous November.

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He told her they were going to the beach, near where they lived in Cyprus, however, unbeknownst to Louise, as she brushed May's hair and packed her beach bag, Mostafa had hatched a plan to abduct May and take her with him to his native Syria.

Louise Monaghan, her ex-husband Mostafa, and May. Pic: Supplied

The shocking series of events unfolded like the plot of the Liam Neeson movie Taken and left Louise, who was 36 at the time and is originally from Swords in Dublin, with no option but to embark on a 'harrowing' mission travelling alone deep into war-torn Syria to rescue her daughter herself.

Her unbelievable but true story is now set to be made into a movie titled Love and War, with Nicola Coughlan in the lead role playing Louise, and portraying the story of how she risked her life to save her daughter.

But on that Wednesday morning in 2011, Louise still had no idea of the horrors that lay ahead of her as she kissed her daughter goodbye and waved as her daughter left with her father.

Recalling the morning May was taken, Louise told EVOKE: 'I said "Where are you going with May?" and he [Mostafa] said "I'm going to the beach". I thought, "Lovely". It was a September day. She was meant to start school the next day.

Mostafa and May. Pic: Supplied

'He talked and spoke normally and I remember I kissed her goodbye and stupidly, I worried they wouldn't have money for an ice cream so I remember giving him €20 to get something for May if she needed anything. She ran back and gave me a kiss, and they drove off in the car.'

Despite the seemingly normal morning, Louise had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was seriously wrong - a testament to every mother's intuition. 'I was at work and I got this horrible sense of foreboding,' she said. 'I just really felt off. I knew something was seriously wrong so I tried to ring him.

'I called and his phone was off. I said, "Oh my god, something's wrong." So I tore out of the office and went to the beach he told me he was going to and it was completely empty. There was no one there and I panicked. I was screaming inside. I rang my sister and I said, "He’s taken May". I just knew.'

Louise Monaghan and May. Pic: Supplied

Mostafa called her later that day, and the full reality of what was happening sank in. Despite May being on a 'stop list' and having a cancelled passport, he had managed to take her out of the country and was on the way to his homeland in northern Syria, a place that was embroiled in civil war.

Louise knew her daughter was in severe danger but speaking to her over the phone she tried to reassure her. 'She was very distressed. I said, "May, I'll get to you, don't worry." I said, "Mammy's coming".'

She sprang into action and devised a plan with her sister to get May back, whatever it took. Louise said she played to Mostafa's 'ego and greed' and convinced him that she too wanted to come to Syria to be with May, and that she would sell her house and car and bring the money with her to look after May. Mostafa agreed.

Louise Monaghan. Pic: Supplied

Louise made the dangerous journey across the border into no-man's land and then into Syria, where she met Mostafa. However, her escape mission became more complicated.

While she was briefly reunited with May, she was then held captive for three weeks in a room where food was often handed to her under a door, she was subject to beatings by Mostafa, and she could hear shelling overhead at night, with the war getting closer and closer.

After weeks of captivity a window of opportunity opened one day when Mostafa agreed to take her to the immigration office to get her visa renewed - she grabbed May's hand and ran.

Louise Monaghan and May now. Pic: Supplied

Louise told us: 'Unbelievably, he left May and I [alone] in the back of the car for one minute. I said, "May, run!" I grabbed her hand, opened the door, it was a really busy street and a taxi pulled up and we opened the taxi door and jumped into the back and threw ourselves on the floor.

'As we were driving away from the immigration office, I looked out the back window, and I could see Mostafa in a blind panic, seeing that we weren't in the car, and looking around frantically for us.'

They convinced a taxi driver to drive them to Damascus, where the Irish Consulate was and where they would be safe. They drove all day, through multiple checkpoints but at the same time, Mostafa had gone to the local police and put out a warrant out for Louise's arrest, with a stipulation that if she was caught she should be 'publicly beheaded'.

Louise Monaghan and May. Pic: Supplied

The only way to leave Syria now was illegally, by foot, under the cover of darkness and with the help of people smugglers. So one October night, escorted by three strange men, Louise and May set out on their bid for freedom, walking for hours over the mountains, zigzagging to avoid landmines and diving to the ground when they came across an army convoy until they made it to Lebanon, where a jeep was waiting for them.

'Mostafa always said to me when I was in Syria, "May is never leaving Syria. Get that into your head." I remember getting into the back of this jeep and his words echoed in my head. And I just said, "F**k you. I did it, I did it, I'm here!"'

Nicola Coughlan. Pic: Neil Mockford/WireImage

Now, Nicola Coughlan has been chosen to play Louise in the movie adaptation of her book Stolen: Escape from Syria. The Bridgerton actress, 37, is said to be have been delighted to have been cast in the film and while Louise is 'in awe' of Nicola for taking it on, she thinks it will be a 'harrowing' role to play.

She said: 'I felt sorry for her, believe it or not, because I think it's going to be an extremely arduous and difficult role to play.  I do have a little pit of pity for her because it’ll be harrowing. I have full confidence in her that she’ll do it brilliantly but I do feel sorry for her because it's a very difficult and emotionally draining role to take on.

'I'm in awe, more so, of her now that she's read the script and she's willing and excited about playing me.'

May Monaghan. Pic: Supplied

These days, Louise and her daughter May are in a much happier place. May, is now 19 years old and is a student in DCU, studying Politics and Media as well as working a part-time job. 'She's very accomplished,' said Louise. 'She's very mature, and I couldn't be more proud of her.'

Meanwhile, Louise has found love again with an old friend, an Irish man named Mick. 'He pursued me for years. We were friends, and he kept, very nicely, asking me for a date, or asking me for dinner, or inviting me to a wedding. And slowly, slowly, I started falling for him and we're together now,' she said.

Louise Monaghan and Mick. Pic: Supplied

They have moved back to Cyprus, where they have bought a villa and own three dogs and are now getting married in October. 'He's wonderful and he's kind and he's great with May and May loves him,' said Louise. 'Everyone's happy... So, there you go, there is happy ending!'

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