Paul McBride death: Neil Lennon to carry coffin at funeral

THE funeral of Paul McBride, QC, the leading lawyer who was found dead in a hotel in Pakistan while on a business trip, is due to be held today.

A requiem mass will be held at St Aloysius’ Church in Glasgow before he is laid to rest at St Conval’s Cemetery in Barrhead.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon is thought to be among the pall-bearers, along with friend and former journalist Tom Hamilton.

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Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland and close friend Derek Ogg will be among those speaking at the funeral.

Paying tribute to his friend yesterday, Mr Hamilton said: “The good and the great will be at the funeral. But so will the cleaners and security staff in the courts where his reputation was won.

“He’d like that. For one of Paul’s great traits was his ability to speak with and listen to anyone and everyone, in the same way, regardless of their background.”

Mr McBride, 47, was found dead in his hotel room in Lahore last Sunday after complaining of feeling unwell the previous evening.

A post-mortem examination found he died of natural causes, although the exact cause of death remains unknown.

The QC was on a business trip with fellow lawyer Aamer Anwar and was staying at the Pearl Continental hotel when he died. His body was flown back to Scotland on Saturday.

One of Scotland’s top judges, former solicitor general Lord McCluskey, who co-wrote a highly regarded book on criminal appeals with Mr McBride, paid tribute to the QC this weekend.

He said: “He was outstandingly quick-minded with a very pleasant personality.

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“He had a gift which many advocates envy and that was the gift to take very complicated matters and express them in very simple and easy to understand language.

“That often comes over the years as a result of addressing juries, but he had a very natural gift as a court advocate.

“His death has been a great shock at the very height of his career. He was a very clever, able young man who was a very talented advocate. Advocacy in Scotland is the poorer with the loss of Paul McBride.”

In an emotional tribute, his friend Mr Anwar said: “It is not a cliche to say Scotland has lost a son. For many, Paul McBride was an outstanding and fearless lawyer, a good friend and loving son and partner. I hope the fact that Paul is now finally back home will provide some peace and comfort.”

Mr McBride was appointed a QC at the age of 35, said to be the youngest ever appointed in the UK.