Tears of bride-to-be as she buries soldier fiance at church where they were due to marry after he was hit by coach on stag do

Debbie Smith, 23, promises to stay strong as she bid farewell to her 'rock' 

• Matt Cottrell, 24, struck by coach while celebrating his forthcoming nuptials
• Wedding was due to take place at Holy Trinity church, Southport, tomorrow
• Debbie: 'I'm missing part of myself. Don't know if I'll ever feel the same again'
• Reverend: 'They really loved each other and they had a promising future'

A bride-to-be whose fiance was killed on his stag night while she was on holiday fought back tears of pride today as he was honoured at the church where they were due to marry.

Debbie Smith, 23, said she was 'missing part of herself' but promised to 'stay strong' as she bid farewell to soldier Matt Cottrell, 24, at his funeral.

Matt had just been recruited as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers when he was hit by a coach last month following a night out celebrating his forthcoming nuptials with Army comrades.

Brave: Debbie Smith (right) clutches a tissue as she fights back tears during the funeral of her fiance Matt Cottrell, who died in a road accident on his stag night last month

'I'm missing part of myself': Debbie described soldier Matt as her 'rock' while paying tribute to her fiance

He suffered serious head injuries and died at the scene. It is believed Debbie found out about the tragedy while on a family holiday abroad.

Clutching a tissue, Debbie today attended a full military funeral service for her husband-to-be at Holy Trinity church in Southport, Merseyside. They were to due get wed there tomorrow.

 

Matt was said to be Debbie’s 'rock' after her brother took his own life four years ago.

In a message on a floral wreath, Debbie wrote: 'Love you Matt, I really miss you. Hope you are looking over me. 

Immense grief: Debbie was accompanied by family and friends at the full military funeral service at Holy Trinity church in Southport, Merseyside, where they were due to get married

Highest honour: Matt's colleagues carry his coffin at the military service, which included a firing party of soldiers on the church gardens

Poignant: The church service opened with the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful, which was due to be played at the couple's wedding day

'I’m missing part of myself. Don’t know if I’ll ever feel the same again. I feel numb and empty sometimes.

'Find myself lost then I think of you and how much you should still be here. I miss my brother. Feel alone and scared for myself and the people I love and care about most dear. I’m staying strong for you. I love you matt forever.'

In pouring rain, she and fellow mourners were greeted by 60 Army colleagues, including a firing party of uniformed soldiers on the church gardens as well as guards who stood near the entrance.

A Union flag was draped over his coffin and cream floral wreaths spelling their name ‘Cotty’ were placed along one side. The service opened with All Things Bright and Beautiful, which was due to be played at their wedding day.

The couple’s favourite song, Ed Sheeran’s Kiss Me, was also played.

'Don¿t know if I¿ll ever feel the same again': Debbie's touching message to Matt on a floral wreath in which she describes how she feels 'numb and empty' without him

'Will always love you': A floral tribute from Matt's brother

Rev Rod Garner, who was due to officiate at the wedding, told mourners: 'I cannot tip-toe around that Matthew has died suddenly and that tomorrow here in this place, this would have been his wedding day to Debbie.'

'I had known Debbie quite well from years past, but Matthew was the new kid on the block - and I wasn’t sure.

'He was a bit shy, self-contained, a bit of a lad I thought, but after a few meetings and phone calls I began to warm to him very considerably. I had good feelings for him and for the two of them, a sound partnership with a promising future.

'It was obvious the prospective couple really loved each other.'

He said the word 'happy' was often used to describe Matt whenever he had visited the family since his death.

'The uncomplicated word happy - and it’s what we all want to be,' he added.

'One of the guys': Matt had just been recruited as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers when he died last month

'The happy baby, the happy boy at school and at home. His mind was curious and was eager to learn - he wanted to know how things worked. He was an engineer in the making.

'Happy in the past five or six years when they have been together - the quiet, simply intimacy of two very young people, happy to be together in love.

'There has been the acceptance that life is precarious, that time and chance sometimes come together in tragic ways and that love pledged forward sometimes is cut short.

'It is an incredibly sad event. They were both genuinely looking forward to the wedding.

'He was going to be posted to Germany for five years and she was going to move with him. I was due to see them for their wedding rehearsal when he was killed.'

After a prayer, Matthew’s father Steven Cottrell, an ex-member of the Royal Engineers, read A Salute to the Engineers by Rudyard Kipling.

Tragedy: Matt was walking along a notorious, unlit stretch of the A35 at Bloxworth, Dorset, at 3am when he was hit from behind by the single-decker coach

Inseparable: Matt was going to be posted to Germany for five years and Debbie was planning to move with him

Captain Matt Teeling said of Matt: 'He was a very physically and mentally robust individual. He was a great credit to his family. He was one of the guys, he was relied upon to hold everyone together.

'He motivated them to go forward. He got things done. He was always a positive, happy-go-lucky individual with a smile on his face.'

He said men had come from all over the country to pay respects to the popular soldier.

The tragedy occurred on June 23 after former mechanic Matt, who was training at the Bovington barracks in Dorset, had been out with colleagues to celebrate his forthcoming wedding.

He had hailed a cab to make his way back to base, but abandoned the taxi half-way home because he had run out of money.

He was walking along a notorious, unlit stretch of the A35 at Bloxworth, Dorset, at 3am when he was hit from behind by the single-decker coach. Army colleagues dashed to the scene and tried in vain to revive him.

Matt’s parents Julie and Steve, a former TA soldier, and brothers Paul and Luke, were said to be 'absolutely devastated' at his death.

The coach driver, 55, from Bournemouth, who is believed not to have seen Matt was treated for shock. There were no passengers on the coach.

An inquest into Spr Cottrell’s death was opened and adjourned at Bournemouth coroner’s court. The cause of death was withheld awaiting toxicology results.

Sgt Dave Stroud, from Dorset Police, described the accident as a 'poignant and tragic case'.