Cardiff crash: Hundreds at funeral of Rafel Jeanne

Rafel Jeanne was one of three people killed in the car crash last month

Hundreds of people have gathered for the funeral of Rafel Jeanne, one of three people killed in a crash after the car they were in went missing.

Rafel, 24, died in the crash in St Mellons, Cardiff, along with Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21.

Two other people injured in the crash remain in hospital.

On Tuesday, mourners attended a service for Rafel at St Peter's Catholic Church in Roath, before going on to Thornhill Crematorium.

Father Chris Fuse, who led the service at St Peter's, said there were more than 400 people in the church. 

"What impressed me was the vast number of young people who came today - many of them looking rather solemn considering the background of Rafel's death and his friends," he said.

The funeral for Rafel Jeanne was held in a church in Roath, Cardiff

"But they responded to the sense of prayer, to this being a house of God and they responded to a sense of being together and that's what we hoped to emphasise. A community meeting together in faith and friendship.

"It was very nice to see such a vast turn out - it means the family will have a lot of support which they certainly need.

"He was a very popular sportsman. I think that you can see - in him and in young people - hope for the future and so we did talk a bit about hope and we did have a reading of St Paul speaking about hope.

Rafel's father, former Cardiff City player Leon Jeanne, who is currently in prison, was amongst the mourners

"His mum also said, that's all we can cling to - hope for a good future."

Traditional Welsh hymns Calon Lan and Ar Hyd y Nos were sung at the church and the service at the crematorium concluded with 'Told You' by rappers Yung Tory and Nafe Smaz.

Floral arrangements included a rugby ball with 'Cymru' on it.

Quad bikes followed the hearse and family cars, revving their engines.

The three victims of the crash, along with Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were in a car which veered off the slip road of the A48 and ended up in a wooded area in the early hours of Saturday 4 March.

The vehicle was eventually found nearly 48 hours after the crash, on Monday 6 March and around 30 hours after the first missing person report was made to police.

Ms Russon and Mr Loughlin were injured in the crash and remain in hospital.

The police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating Gwent Police and South Wales Police's response to those missing person reports, and the communication between the two forces.

Inquests into the deaths of the three victims opened last month but provisional causes of deaths are yet to be established.