Commanding officer pays tribute to Real IRA victim

The commanding officer of a soldier shot dead by the Real IRA outside his barracks in the North spoke today of the young man’s desire to help others before himself.

Speaking before the funeral of 21-year-old Sapper Patrick Azimkar at the Guards Chapel on Birdcage Walk in central London, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Lewis said: “Pat was a highly-motivated young sapper who was always willing to go the extra mile and he never ceased to amaze me with his enthusiasm and determination to get the job done.”