Connie Mandaba (pictured left), from Zimbabwe, discovered the 68-year-old's body at around 7.30am last Monday – just hours after he had been beaten and stabbed eight times.

Connie had been in a relationship with Mr Spence for two years after her visit to the Tara Guesthouse on Bangor's Princetown Road.

"After getting that short bit of time with him, I knew I wanted to see him more," said Connie last night after Mr Spence's funeral, at which the killing was described by a pastor as a "dastardly act of cowardice".

"He turned out to be the warmest, kindest, most thoughtful and romantic man," said Connie.

The mother of three, a radiographer at Belfast's Musgrave Hospital, said the pair were looking forward to going to England next month for the marriage of her eldest daughter.

"I was really in love with Bill – just really happy and at peace with him."

The grieving partner decided to move her family to Northern Ireland just after she met Mr Spence.

Connie – who grew up in Zimbabwe, but moved to Manchester in 2000 – decided against traditional black for Mr Spence's funeral service.

Instead, she said she wanted to "celebrate Billy's life" by donning vibrantly coloured African tribal gowns and headgear.

She spoke to the News Letter after his packed funeral yesterday afternoon, attended by around 400 mourners.

Connie said she is still trying to work out whether to stay in the Province after her horrifying experience.

Choking back tears, she revealed she called into the guesthouse on her way to work on Monday and found Mr Spence's body.

"He was meant to pick me up to take me to the train station so I could get to work," she said.

"When he was late, I went to see him. Then I found him there.

"I've just never seen anything like it. I was in shock. I just started screaming and screaming, and the manager had to come."

Her screams were said to have woken all the guests staying in the B&B, which Mr Spence ran for 20 years.

At yesterday's service inside the small Ballyholme Methodist Church in Bangor, friends paid tribute to a big-hearted man with a "wonderful smile".

Connie said she wanted him to be remembered as a great father figure to her three children – daughter Ropa, 17, Joseph, 13, and her eldest, Colette.

She added: "It was the most beautiful service, and people travelled from all over to say goodbye to Bill.

"Their testimonies at the service gave him a great send-off, and it confirmed to me what I thought of him."

The Rev Lee Glenny, who conducted the service, said that one of the chosen hymns, All Things Bright and Beautiful, suited Billy because he "loved the beauty of creation and loved growing flowers".

The coffin of Mr Spence, who never married or had children, was led out of the church, followed by his brother-in-law Victor and sister Blossom.

Local pastor Terry Allen said a "dastardly act of cowardice" had robbed the world of a Good Samaritan.

Mr Allen told how Mr Spence had put up a family in trouble up after they visited his church for help.

He said: "When I told Billy there was a family who had nowhere to go because of financial problems, he took them in, gave them tea and sandwiches and a room.

"After I took them to Social Services, I went to Billy to pay him.

"He refused to take the money and just looked at me with that wonderful smile and said, 'Those were people in need. You have to help people in need'.

"That story is what sums Billy up."

Mr Spence was later buried at Ballyvester Cemetery near Portaferry.

A 19-year-old man appeared at Newtownards Magistrates Court on Monday charged with the murder of Mr Spence.

James William McCoy, with an address at the Simon Community in Bangor, is being held in custody.