JustGiving appeal started to tackle root cause of criminality after murder of Major Kevin McCool from Armagh whilst off duty in Africa

Major Kevin McCool, 32, who was from the Tullysaran area, just north west of Armagh, died in the African country on November 29, 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

He was shot while off duty, taking a scrambler for one last ride up a local mountain before he was due to leave Kenya three days later.

He was jumped by two armed men, but thought their weapon was a dummy.

The MoD said Major McCool, who saw service in Europe, the Middle East, the Falklands and Africa, “thrived in the military environment”, adding that “he was at his best when deployed, and at his very best when the conditions were at their very worst”.

In the appeal, Kevin’s sister Anne McCool says: “Please donate to help us build a legacy for Kevin and continue his force for good.

"Kevin was murdered and we as a family believe criminality has deep and complex causes that start early.

"As a family, we'd like to support a charitable foundation that tries to address the root causes that draw young people towards a life of crime and prevent future cases that mirror Kevin’s story.

"We have chosen two charities that are aiming for social reconstruction through sport as Kevin was a keen runner (he represented Ireland Schools at Cross Country).

"The donations will be split equally between the following two charities:

‘The first charity is NI based Sported who's ethos is: ‘Using the power of sport to change young lives and tackle some of society’s biggest problems, including anti-social behaviour, rural isolation and community cohesion’

"The second charity is Kenyan based Lornah Kiplagat Foundation who aim to keep girls and young women in Kenya in school and offer them education in combination with sport - A healthy mind in a healthy body.”

"We believe these charities will help continue Kevin's legacy both at home and abroad.”

Already £15,944 has been raised of a £50,000 target.

See the appeal here