This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7214466.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Backpacker laid to rest on Orkney | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of mourners gathered to say farewell to murdered backpacker Karen Aim as she was buried in Orkney. | |
| The minister at East Mainland Church in Holm, where the funeral service took place, said Ms Aim was a "very special person, blessed by God". | |
| The packed congregation also heard tributes to her "caring, sweet and beautiful spirit". | |
| The 26-year-old from Orkney was killed as she made her way home from a night out in Taupo, New Zealand. | |
| Her body arrived back in Holm on mainland Orkney on Sunday night after a 12,000 mile journey by air and sea. | |
| She absolutely buzzed with life. Now her bright light has been cruelly snuffed out. Violet Perfect Ms Aim's aunt | |
| Before the service, videos and pictures of Ms Aim's life were shown and some of her favourite music was played - including a song called Only The Good Die Young. | |
| Reverend Miriam Gross described how, on her second visit to New Zealand, Ms Aim told her: "Taupo is the place for me: it feels so good." | |
| "She made more of the 26 years God gifted her with than most of us do out of a whole lifetime," said Reverend Gross, who added: "We are still frozen and can't believe it." | |
| Stephen Hagen, convenor of Orkney Islands Council, said local people wanted to show their support for the Aim family - particularly because Orkney was a small community of just 20,000 people. | |
| 'Shining light' | |
| "Because of the small size [of the community] if you don't know someone directly you know them indirectly through someone else, so I think people do just gather around and support each other," he said. | |
| Earlier, a memorial service attended by Ms Aim's aunt was held in Taupo. | Earlier, a memorial service attended by Ms Aim's aunt was held in Taupo. |
| Violet Perfect, who lives in New Zealand, described her niece as a shining light. | Violet Perfect, who lives in New Zealand, described her niece as a shining light. |
| She added: "Whenever Karen stayed with us, the whole house changed as if a light had been switched on. She absolutely buzzed with life. | She added: "Whenever Karen stayed with us, the whole house changed as if a light had been switched on. She absolutely buzzed with life. |
| Karen Aim had been in New Zealand since October | |
| "Now her bright light has been cruelly snuffed out. She died in unimaginable terror and pain after being savagely beaten on a street corner. | "Now her bright light has been cruelly snuffed out. She died in unimaginable terror and pain after being savagely beaten on a street corner. |
| "As for her family, a piece of them will have died with her. They have been condemned to live without her, remembering how she died. | "As for her family, a piece of them will have died with her. They have been condemned to live without her, remembering how she died. |
| "The killers, hopefully, will be caught but justice will never be done." | "The killers, hopefully, will be caught but justice will never be done." |
| A murder inquiry was launched after Ms Aim was found fatally injured in the street. | A murder inquiry was launched after Ms Aim was found fatally injured in the street. |
| The investigation, led by Detective Sergeant Greg Turner, has focused on a group who vandalised a nearby college and CCTV images of a cyclist in the area have been released. | |
| A 14-year-old boy has been arrested, but is not being connected directly to the attack. | A 14-year-old boy has been arrested, but is not being connected directly to the attack. |