Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay
their respects at the funeral of a 20-year-old traveller who was
battered to death with a shovel at a service station.
The
grief-stricken family and friends of Quhey Saunders marched through the
streets of Essex as his coffin was led on its final journey by a
horse-drawn carriage to a cemetery.
Mr
Saunders, 20, a member of the travelling community in Stanford-le-Hope,
Essex, was attacked with the shovel in front of his parents at the M25
services in Cobham, Surrey, in June.
Wails
and moans of anguish could be heard as the mourners walked behind the
ornate silver carriage in Standford-le-Hope, with many breaking down
into tears.
Hundreds of mourners gathered in
Essex today to pay tribute to Quhey Saunders, 20, at his funeral in
Stanford-le-Hope, where he was part of the local traveller community
Mr
Saunders, left and right with girlfriend Larosa Smith, died after being
beaten to death with a shovel at a service station on the M25 in July
Grief-stricken friends and
family followed his coffin to the graveyard as it was carried by a
silver ornate horse-drawn carriage, pictured, through the streets of his
home town
Mourners
dressed in black and looked distraught, left, as they walked through
the town to accompany Mr Saunders, right with his former girlfriend Miss
Smith, on his final journey
Six
white horses ridden by military suit-clad riders carried Mr Saunders in
the hearse, which had a giant red floral heart on top of it.
A
cavalcade of glamorous silver Rolls-Royce followed the precision with
stragglers still heading to the service 15 minutes after the coffin
passed.
The
well-wishers - mostly dressed in black - looked distraught as they
passed towards Stanford Cemetery following a service at a local Catholic
church.
Mr Saunders' body travelled
roughly nine miles from the brick church in the quiet nearby town of
South Ockendon where the service was held.
Cars, vans and pick ups blocked roads at Holy Cross Catholic Church, and colourful floral tributes sat outside the building.
A cavalcade of silver Rolls Royces, pictured, were also part of the funeral procession, following behind the crowds
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Many of the mourners broke down into tears on the walk, while the carriage was also decorated with a giant love heart
Tributes have poured in for Mr
Saunders since his death, with a family statement saying he was a 'very
kind hearted boy, always full of laughter, loved life and loved
enjoyment'. Pictured are the crowds following the carriage
A
huge red and white wreath of flowers was being displayed on the back of
a pick-up truck- with the words 'the heart of our family' on it.
Girlfriend Larosa Smith paid tribute to Mr Saunders on Facebook today ahead of the funeral.
She wrote: 'Haven't slept all night, my heart is broke. I love you my quhey (sic)'.
After
Mr Saunders died Miss Smith posted a heartbreaking tribute to Mr
Saunders on social media on Wednesday, accompanied with photographs of
him having fun with his friends.
She
said: 'I'm so lost without him, knowing I can't just ring his phone and
hear his voice or fall asleep on the phone like we did every night. Even
when we'd argue we would ring each other and not talk, just go to sleep
on the phone. It's the little things [that] mean the most.
'I love you with all my heart my Quhey.'
Mourners were mostly dressed in
black and carried flowers as they made their way from a church in the
village of South Ockendon where a funeral service was held
Mr Saunders was attacked at this service station off the M25 at Cobham in Surrey, prompting a huge police investigation
Officers
attempted to save his life by performing CPR and he was airlifted to
hospital in Tooting, London, but eventually had his life support machine
switched off
Police battled to
try and save him before he was airlifted to St George's Hospital,
Tooting, London, but his life support machine was switched off on June
28.
Paying tribute to him after his
death, his family said: 'Quhey was a very kind hearted boy, always full
of laughter, loved life and loved enjoyment. He was very respectful to
his elders and the sick.
'He was always
laughing, always happy and loved every day of life. He lived life to
the full and his life was taken very young. He had his whole life in
front of him and was taken for no reason at all.'
Quhey's
mother, who asked not to be named, said: 'Quhey was the heart of the
whole family. All our hearts are broken. The family is very close and he
will be missed by his brothers and sisters.
'Quhey
donated his organs and he has saved lives. I wish those people who have
received Quhey's organs well and I hope they live a long and happy
life.'
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