Cardiff: Thousands at Ely funeral of e-bike crash boys

Thousands of people have attended the funeral of two teenagers whose deaths in an e-bike crash sparked a riot.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died on 22 May in Ely, Cardiff, after the bike they were riding was followed by a police van.

Following the service they will be buried in the same plot as they were best friends, said their families.

The funeral procession, including four hearses and nine Rolls-Royces, was led by a group of motorcycles.

Harvey’s coffin was followed by Kyrees’ and then two further hearses, one with flowers spelling “forever” and the other “young”.

A light aircraft has been flying overhead with a banner trailing behind with the words “RIP Harvey and Kyrees Young Kings”.

Ely’s Church of the Resurrection, which holds about 1,200 people, has been completely filled by the service, with another estimated 800 mourners outside.

The procession left the funeral home on Cowbridge Road West at about noon and made its way around the boys’ housing estate.

It stopped at both of their homes before making its way to the Church of the Resurrection on Grand Avenue, Ely, for the service at 13:00 BST.

A number of people became emotional as the two coffins were carried into the church by family members as the song All My Life by American rappers Lil Durk and J. Cole was played.

Image source, PA Media

The service started with the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful before members of both families shared memories of the boys.

Following prayers, the service will end with I’ll Be Missing You by Diddy and Faith Evans

A wake will be held at Cardiff City Stadium after the burial.

Image source, PA Media

JM, a rapper and friend of Kyrees and Harvey, will be performing a song at the service that he wrote for the occasion.

The 17-year-old told BBC Newsbeat the song was “really tough” for him to write, and that he had to spend hours trying to compose himself while recording it.

“I’m glad their parents liked it… Harvey’s mum Nadine called me her superstar, that meant a lot,” he said.

Image source, PA Media

On the evening of their deaths, a riot broke out in Ely which saw 15 officers injured and 27 arrests made.

The unrest saw cars were torched, property damaged and one street was left looking like an “absolute warzone”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has since started an investigation into the conduct of the driver and passenger of the police van that was seen following the pair.

Hundreds of blue ribbons are lining the procession route, tied to lampposts, road signs, traffic bollards, gates of houses and on the grills of cars and vans.

The families of both teenagers have asked mourners to wear something blue.

Flowers and messages have been left for the boys at the site of the crash that took their lives, on Snowdon Road.

Birthday cards, messages and banners have also been left for Harvey, who would have been 16 on 21 June.

Speaking ahead of the funeral, the Reverend Canon Jan Gould said: “It’s important for the family especially, but actually for the whole community to have some closure now and to begin to move on.

“My hope is that moving on from this now, the community can begin to rebuild. And hopefully the families will find some peace from the service.”

Road closures are being managed by Cardiff council and schools in the area will also close due to the number of mourners.

Ty Coch Road, from the roundabout with Archer Road, and Grand Avenue, from its junction with Howell Road, was closed from midday.

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