Duchess of York among mourners at honeymoon couple's funeral

THE Duchess of York was one of around 900 mourners to attend the funeral service of murdered honeymooners Ben and Catherine Mullany today.

The newlyweds, from Rhos, near Pontardawe, South Wales, were shot on the last day of their holiday at the Cocos Hotel and Resort in Antigua on July 27.

Mrs Mullany, 31, a doctor, died instantly in what is believed to have been a botched robbery.

Her husband, a trainee physiotherapist who was also 31, died in hospital in Swansea after being flown home in a coma.

They were buried last month in a private ceremony at St John the Evangelist Church in Cilybebyll, South Wales, where they married.

Today hundreds of mourners, including the Duchess of York, who met family members as they flew to Antigua following the shootings, were at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, to pay their last respects today.

Speaking before the service, the Duchess described how she met the family on the aeroplane as she took her own daughters on holiday.

She said: "They got postcards from Ben and Catherine after they had died. I think any mother getting a postcard, they were so in love and so happy, it must have been very difficult.

She said she had agreed to become a patron of the Mullany fund, set up to support prospective medical students and physiotherapists, because she had been so moved by the case, and had told the family she would help in any way.

"I think the nation was so taken by the attack and the world was taken by it.

"They were taken away at such a young age. It was the last day of their honeymoon. They had so much to do, they wanted to be doctors.

"It is just an extraordinary story. As a mum, and as a parent, I was so touched."

The duchess read the WB Yeats poem Tread Softly during the service and said it was "very special to her".

She told reporters: "It must be so difficult for any parent, any family, to go through a death like this.

"I have no words. I'm just really here to support them going forward."
She added: "My girls are healthy and well and I am so blessed."

The Reverend Martyn Perry, Rector of Cilybebyll, who married the Mullanys, conducted the funeral with the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan.

Other mourners included the couples' friends and family and colleagues, and Neath MP, Peter Hain.

After the service, the Duchess and Mr Mullany's brother Adam left the cathedral holding a blown up photograph of the couple.

The Duchess said the "extraordinary strength" of the newlyweds gave their friends and family the inspiration to talk about them during the funeral.

Looking close to tears, she said: "It was very, very, very moving. We all agreed that we shouldn't have been there."

Following the service, Detective Chief Inspector Danny Richards of South Wales Police said: "The families wish to thank all those who attended Llandaff Cathedral today to pay their respects to Ben and Catherine.

"They have been overwhelmed by the support and kindness of their families, friends and the wider community.

"The families now wish to channel this support into a fund which has been set up in memory of Ben and Catherine. They would once again ask the media to respect their privacy as they continue to grieve.

"South Wales Police is continuing to work with the Metropolitan Police and the Antigua Police Service to support the ongoing investigation into the murder of Ben and Catherine Mullany.

"The force also has trained family liaison officers who are continuing to support the families and to keep them fully updated on events both in the UK and Antigua."

Two men, 20-year-old, Kaniel Martin and 17-year old, Avie Howell, are in custody in Antigua charged with the couple's murder.

Francisca Baez de la Cruz, 22, and Ramona Mejia Gervasio, 32, have been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and receiving stolen goods.

A third woman, 31-year-old Jeorgette Aaron, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and accessory after the fact to robbery and accessory after the fact to murder.