Bikers’ tribute to tragic teen

8:34pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

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A BIKER group from Newport paid tribute to a 17-year-old who died after being accidentally shot with an air rifle.

Trainee plumber Danny Marsh, 17, from Maesglas, died last November. He was with two friends in a shed at the back of his grandmother's home in Maesglas, looking at the air rifle, when he was accidentally shot in the chest.

On Tuesday, biker group Cogs, rode in convoy from their regular meeting place The Gladiator in Malpas, to lay a wreath at Danny's grave in St Woolos cemetery.

Danny's second cousin Steve Galea, known to friends as Bun, is a member of the group.

Mr Galea, 42, from the Varteg, said that although it was some four months since the funeral, he wanted to lay the wreath as his own personal goodbye to Danny.

"We were very close," he said. "His dad and I were more like brothers than cousins.

"I used to help Danny fix his motorcross bike and I still really miss Danny's smile when I used to pull up on my bike."

He said Danny's family still found it hard to accept what happened to him.

But he said: "It meant a lot to me to do this. It was something very personal, but also for Danny, who really loved the bikes."