25/11/2008
No Paramilitary Burial For Shoukri
A funeral service for the 34-year-old former UDA boss, Ihab Shoukri, who died at the weekend, will take place in a church close to his family home later this week - without any paramilitary trappings.
It will be held at the Holy Trinity Parish Church, Ballysillan on Thursday, and he will then be buried close to his adopted home in Rathcoole - in Carnmoney Cemetery.
Given frictions within the loyalist paramilitary organisation - and the fact that the Shoukri brothers were 'expelled' from the illegal organisation - no UDA-style funeral is expected.
Shoukri died suddenly at the weekend following a reported drugs overdose. The former paramilitary godfather was jailed for 15 months in June for his part in UDA show of strength in a north Belfast bar, but was released earlier this year.
His brother, Andre, also a prominent loyalist, is currently serving a sentence in prison. It is not yet known if Andre will be freed on compassionate grounds fot the funeral.
Ihab had been living in Rathcoole with his girlfriend Emma Evans, a widowed mother-of-two.
It remains unclear as to how exactly the loyalist actually died. Family and friends are awaiting post mortem details, but it is believed Shoukri had been susceptible to epileptic fits - something that would be complicated by drug abuse.
(BMcC)
It will be held at the Holy Trinity Parish Church, Ballysillan on Thursday, and he will then be buried close to his adopted home in Rathcoole - in Carnmoney Cemetery.
Given frictions within the loyalist paramilitary organisation - and the fact that the Shoukri brothers were 'expelled' from the illegal organisation - no UDA-style funeral is expected.
Shoukri died suddenly at the weekend following a reported drugs overdose. The former paramilitary godfather was jailed for 15 months in June for his part in UDA show of strength in a north Belfast bar, but was released earlier this year.
His brother, Andre, also a prominent loyalist, is currently serving a sentence in prison. It is not yet known if Andre will be freed on compassionate grounds fot the funeral.
Ihab had been living in Rathcoole with his girlfriend Emma Evans, a widowed mother-of-two.
It remains unclear as to how exactly the loyalist actually died. Family and friends are awaiting post mortem details, but it is believed Shoukri had been susceptible to epileptic fits - something that would be complicated by drug abuse.
(BMcC)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.