Hero soldier is laid to rest as mother hurls abuse at sobbing wife
A GRIEVING mother was dragged shouting and screaming by police from her soldier son’s graveside after losing a three-year legal fight over where he should be buried.
Battle lines were drawn yesterday at the Royal British Legion Club in Forfar, Angus, when Linda McComiskie and her family were refused entry to the private funeral service of her son, Black Watch Private Mark Connolly.
Afghanistan war hero Pte Connolly died in May 2011 from a punch while fighting a friend at the base in Germany in which they were stationed.
A row then erupted between mother Mrs McComiskie and widow Stacy Connolly over where Pte Connolly should be buried.
Mrs McComiskie insisted her son wished to be buried in the family lair at MacDuff Cemetery in East Wemyss, Fife, despite claims by Mrs Connolly he wanted to be l aid to rest at a plot earmarked for her in Forfar.
A protracted and bitterly fought legal battle came to an end last year when a sheriff ruled Mrs Connolly had the right to bury him in her home town – and criticised Mrs McComiskie for a ‘distinct lack of compassion’.
Yesterday, after waiting more than three years while her hus- band lay in a morgue in London, Mrs Connolly was finally able to lay him to rest.
A humanist service at the Royal British Legion Club was to be followed by a military burial at the Newmonthill Cemetery in Forfar.
There was a heavy police presence outside the service when a coach from Fife arrived. Mrs McComiskie, friends and family were initially refused entry.
Mrs McComiskie said: ‘Why wait until the last minute to tell us. I mean, today of all days. This was meant to be Mark’s day. She had no right to do this to us. This is Mark’s proper family.’
The soldier’s burial was delayed by almost an hour until both sides were arranged facing each other over the empty grave. The hearse bearing Pte Connolly’s coffin draped in a Union Flag arrived preceded by a piper.
As six of his Black Watch com- rades lifted the coffin from the hearse, Mrs McComiskie started shouting abuse at Mrs Connolly.
Police were forced to intervene as Mrs McComiskie shouted: ‘You are horrible, despicable scum. You are not Mark’s friends. I hope you are all proud of this.’
As police dragged Mrs McComiskie away, both sides traded insults while six Black Watch soldiers fired volleys of shots over the grave.
Mrs McComiskie was allowed to return to her son’s grave but continued to hurl abuse as Pte Connolly’s comrades knelt to lower his coffin into the ground.
When the service was over, Mrs McComiskie with friends and family conducted a small private ceremony at the graveside.
Lieutenant Colonel Alasdair Steele, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland said: ‘Mark was an incredibly enthusiastic, compassionate and very, very professional soldier who demonstrated great potential for the future.
‘He made great friends in the battalion and he will be sorely missed.’
The soldier who killed Pte Connolly was cleared of manslaughter by a court martial.
Paul McKay had claimed he hit Pte Connolly in self-defence. He has now left the Army.
‘You are horrible, despicable scum’