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Devastated: Rebecca Holmes

KNIFE victim father-of-two Stephen Pinker was described by his fiancée as a man loved by everyone he met.

The 43-year-old died from a knife wound outside The Corner House pub, in Cowley, Oxford, in front of his fiancée Rebecca Holmes, 28, who he was due to marry next summer.

He was a well-known doorman in Witney, but was visiting friends at the pub when he was stabbed.

Last night, Miss Holmes said: "It was horrendous. It is unbelievable that it's happened. In one night I've lost the one bloke I was deeply in love with.

"He was a loving man, everybody loved him. No one has a bad word to say about the guy. He was the best thing that ever happened to me."

The couple met four years ago when Mr Pinker worked as a doorman at Que Pasa, in Oxford city centre.

Last year they moved in together and Mr Pinker, a former soldier with the Royal Green Jackets, proposed on New Year's Eve.

The couple had also recently worked together as door security at pubs and clubs in Witney.

Rebecca with Stephen Pinker working the door together in Witney

Miss Holmes said: "Everyone used to have so much banter with him. It was brilliant. He had so many close friends and so many people who loved him and would have done absolutely anything for him.

"He was a fantastic guy and well loved by everybody. He treated my two children Tessa and Ryan like his own.

"We were just looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together."

Miss Holmes added Mr Pinker went through a number of distinctive hairstyles and was a keen darts player known as the 'Tambourine Man'.

He was also the darts champion at The Strickland Arms in Duckington and last night Miss Holmes planned to take his place wearing his personalised shirt for the last match of the darts season.

Mr Pinker worked as a doorman at Que Pasa, Bar Risa and Smollensky's, in Oxford, and in Witney at Fat Lil's, The Palace, Eagle Vaults and The Chequers Inn.

Mandy Barker, owner of Fat Lil's, said: "He was an absolute asset. We are all in a state of shock."

Simon Moore, manager at The Chequers Inn, said: "He was a big bloke with a great sense of humour. He was a gentle giant."

Andy Lazenby, landlord at The Strickland Arms, where Mr Pinker was a regular, said: "We're all very sad and shocked and can't believe the world we live in these days."

Doorman and friend Richard Waitland, 31, said: "He was always smiling."

Mr Pinker grew up in Yarnton and served 12 years with the Royal Green Jackets.

He received a General Service Medal for a tour of Northern Ireland and retired as a Sergeant.

Recently Mr Pinker ran a property maintenance company with his fiancée. He was well known in Witney for driving a work van designed like the A-Team van and had the 1980s television show as his mobile phone ring tone.

Mr Pinker also leaves an ex-wife, Sharon Pinker, and two children Luke, 20, and Emily, 17.

Christopher Philp, 25, of Leiden Road, will appear before Oxford magistrates today charged with murder. A 21-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on bail until May 7.

8:42am Friday 28th March 2008

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