The heartbroken mother who “married” her murdered fiance in a hospital morgue has vowed to bring his killers to justice. Irish father-of-two Kevin Lavelle, 29, was viciously battered with an iron bar in a gruesome gang attack while working away from home to raise money for his wedding to fiancee Michelle Thomas.

The caring dad was attacked by nine louts and beaten to death as he returned to his lodgings in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Nobody has even been brought to justice over the brutal attack. But even death could not keep him and Michelle apart. Despite her unbearable pain, Michelle organised a “wedding” in the morgue of Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, where Kevin lay dead.

In front of an open coffin, the priest blessed wedding rings that Michelle had bought specially for the service.The touching ceremony – witnessed by close family and friends – was conducted by the hospital’s Catholic priest who administered the last rites to Kevin. Their two children James, now five, and Megan, now four, went to their daddy’s funeral wearing the clothes they would have worn to their parents’ wedding. The priest asked Michelle if she would have taken Kevin to be her “lawful wedded husband” and she replied “I do”. Kevin’s dad Paddy placed a ring on Michelle’s finger and a ring was placed on Kevin’s finger as he lay in the coffin. Michelle said: “It’s what Kevin would have wanted and I wanted to declare my undying love for him.

“As far as I am concerned, I married Kevin on that day. It should have been the happiest day of my life but it was the saddest.”

Author: Alex Marunchak

Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20070930/ai_n21022451/