A CRY like that of a wounded animal ripped the air as the mother of murdered Korean student Jong-Ok Shin finally gave way to her grief.

Tae Yeon Bae and her husband Jong Geun Shin had sat through a moving hour- long service in the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Church in Bournemouth town centre.

But as the hundreds of mourners filed past to pay their respects to the dignified couple, Jong-Ok's mother broke down with the weight of her sorrow. It was a harrowing sound and others wept as their hearts went out to her.

It seemed as though Bournemouth's entire South Korean population was there - 15 minutes into the service, people were still turning up and trying to find space among the packed pews as chairs were hastily placed in the aisles.

Most of them were young, like 26-year-old Oki herself, whose life was brutally cut short when she was stabbed and left to die on the pavement of Malmesbury Park Road, Charminster, in the early hours of Friday, July 12.

The hour-long service in Korean and English was shared by South Korean priest Hong Sung Uy, known as Father Gabriel, and parish priest the Rev Canon Terence Healy.

It began with an introduction rite in Korean and the hymn Under His Wings I am Safely Abiding in both languages. There were readings from the Bible, a psalm and the Lord's Prayer.

One of the most touching moments came when a friend spoke of her personal memories of Jong-Ok, who first came to Bournemouth last November. As she struggled to hold back her tears, young people all over the church comforted each other.

At the end many of the mourners went up to the coffin to place yellow or white chrysanthemums as a traditional symbol of farewell.

Then it was time for Jong-Ok's penultimate journey, to Bournemouth Crematorium for private cremation. Her family, including her brother Ho Sang Shin and uncle Ho Geun Shin, was due to fly back to South Korea with her ashes today.

Among those attending the service were Detective Superintendent Peter Jackson, who is leading the hunt for Oki's killer, and Bournemouth divisional commander Chief Superintendent Paul Bompas.