Funeral held in memory of Southampton's Perry Cardy

Hundreds of friends and family members said their final farewells to Perry Cardy, who was carried into the funeral inside a Foster's can-themed coffin.

The 52-year-old died in hospital, after an assault outside the Bittern in Thornhill Park Road in April.

Speaking after Perry’s funeral, on Friday, his sister Mandy Hunter, said: “I think he would have been blown away and I think he would have thought it was really funny.

“It was a fitting send-off for him.

“He loved a Foster's top, that was his favourite drink.

“That’s why I bought a can of lemonade and placed it at the top of the coffin for him.”

Mandy said approximately 250 people turned up to the funeral, at Wessex Vale in West End.

Among them included friends, workmates and family members, some of whom flew in from America.

She said: “Perry was quite a quiet person who kept himself to himself, so I don’t think even we realised just how well liked he was by his friends and fellow workmates.

“We were overwhelmed with the number of people who turned up.

“And people thought the Foster's can idea was really appropriate for Perry and it went down really well.”

Asked what Perry’s reaction would have been to the funeral, Mandy added: “I think he would have loved it, everyone said that.”

Following the funeral, friends and family members gathered at the Royal British Legion in Bitterne for a celebration of Perry’s life.

The event included an 80s and 90s disco and a display of cakes with Perry’s nicknames, which included “Pezza” and “Pedro”.

Southampton-born-and-bred, Perry, a father-of-three, worked in the building trade since leaving Moorhill School.

He had worked for firm KJ Parker’s for 15 years up until his death, on Sunday, April 21.

Perry died in hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries in an assault outside The Bittern Pub – where Perry was said to be a regular at weekends.

The assault took place on Friday, April 19.

An inquest was opened into his death later that month.

During the brief hearing, pathologist Dr Russell Delaney gave a preliminary cause of death of a “blunt force impact head injury”.

Harry Joyce, 27, of Barry Road, Southampton, was charged with an allegation of murder and is due in court later this month.