"SHEENA, I'm dead." Those were the final words of Ian Lyons murdered a week ago in Lurgan, Co Armagh.
He was sitting in a car beside his girlfriend, Sheena McAlinden (19), when the gunmen struck. A group called Direct Action Against Drugs admitted his murder. Still in shock, Sheena spoke about the final few minutes she had with the father of their two year old son Nathan.
"He was giving my dad a lift home to my house that night. He came into the house and my dad had bought chips. Ian and I were just going to head out again but my dad insisted that he stay and have something to eat," she said. "Almost half an hour later we just went out the door.
"I was telling Ian I wanted to return to his sister some Power Rangers and Postman Pat tapes that Ian had borrowed for Nathan and I was telling him that I had the present for Ian's youngest sister Shauna who just had a baby.
"Then we got into the car. Ian went to turn on the car, I was looking at him as we were still talking. Then I looked out the car window and saw two masked men stepping over the wire fence just a couple of yards from the car.
"I don't know what guns they were but they were long ones, I think they were shotguns. Then they came right up to the car and they fired the shots through the driver's window, right up to the window," she said. "The last thing Ian said to me was 'Sheena, I'm dead'."
"I met Ian in the Centrepoint in Lurgan on August 13th 3 1/2 years ago. From the very start I knew I loved him. He was good looking, he had beautiful big brown eyes. He was such an easy going person he was always fun to be with. He was not the way other fellows would have been. He was kindhearted and he was just a real gentleman.
"When we had been going out for a while I found out I was pregnant. I was 17 years old and Ian stood by me the whole way. He supported and helped me the whole way. He was with me through labour and when Nathan was born and it brought us even closer and he thought the world of Nathan from day one.
"My family then began to accept Ian because they could see the way he was so supportive and kind and could see how much he loved me," she said.
"Ian was my life, and the night they took Ian's life they destroyed my life and have deprived my son of growing up and knowing his father. Ian had friends of all ages and his life revolved around motorcycle racing, Nathan and enjoying himself with his friends.
"I cannot describe the hatred I feel for these cowards who took Ian's life, destroyed Nathan's and my life. Ian had no connection with drug dealing and I just don't understand why they murdered him.
"Not only have they taken one precious life but have destroyed Ian's family, my own family and all of his true friends who thought the world of him," said Sheena.
"To the cowardly murderers who thought that they had the right to take the law of God into their own hands, your day will come.
"When you stand before God to be judged, you will not be able to hide behind masks and hide behind bushes and use weapons. God knows who you are and the cruel acts that you have committed. My final words are, if you are not punished in this world you will in the next suffer damnation in hell.