NI soldier's killers 'are cowards'

Speaking during the funeral service of Sapper Mark Quinsey, who was shot dead outside the Massereene Barracks in Antrim on March 7, his sister Jaime said she was struggling to come to terms with his murder.

Reading a letter she had written to her brother, the 25-year-old said: "It breaks my heart to think that I will never see you again. What's happened to you is just so hard for me to understand."

She went on: "You were the most caring, respectable young lad I knew. You did not deserve what those cowards did to you."

Hundreds of people, including church leaders from all the Christian denominations in Ireland, packed into the Immanuel Church in Highters Heath, Birmingham, for the service.

During her emotional tribute, Miss Quinsey spoke of her love for her brother.

She told mourners: "Mark, I never did tell you how much I did love you, but I hope you knew that I did, and I always will.

"Mum thought that she would hold her children's hands for the rest of her life.

"Dad says he has lost his best friend. You will always remain in our hearts. I will always love you."

The sapper's sister also spoke to the media outside the church, where she thanked the people of Northern Ireland for their messages of support.