NSW: Mother farewells son shot dead by best friend

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2008
NSW: Mother farewells son shot dead by best friend

SYDNEY, Dec 17 AAP - A teenager accused of killing his best friend in a sleepover which
turned to tragedy has joined hundreds of people at his funeral in Sydney.

Josef Cruickshank's grieving family and friends, including the 14-year-old boy now
charged with his murder, packed a Camden church on Wednesday.

Josef's mother Rosemary was too distraught to speak during the service and asked a
friend to convey her feelings.

"I have lost my best friend, my son," the woman said on Ms Cruickshank's behalf.

"I have lost a boy who I taught to work hard and put his head down and he did that."

Josef, 14, was shot during a sleepover at a rural property on Silverdale Road at Orangeville
about 10.15pm (AEDT) on December 7.

His friend called triple-0 after the shooting, but has since been charged with murder.

The charged boy's father also is facing charges of possessing a loaded, unauthorised
and unregistered firearm and not keeping the firearm safe.

Josef's friend Nathan Mills, 16, also spoke at the funeral, describing himself as Josef's
"adoptive brother", The Daily Telegraph reported.

"He was my mate, and my adopted brother," Nathan said.

"We love you, we will all miss you. Until we meet again."

Ms Cruickshank has publicly pleaded for the charges against the boy to be dropped,
saying the shooting was an accident and her son's friend had already suffered enough.

AAP vpm/hn/bwl/de

KEYWORD: SHOOTING (FILE PIX AVAILABLE)

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