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Darts tribute to knife victim
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| A friend comforts Becky Holmes |
FAMILY and friends paid tribute to a doorman who died outside an Oxford pub - by winning the local darts league.
Stephen Pinker, 43, died from a knife wound outside the Corner House, in Hollow Way, Cowley, on Tuesday.
On Thursday evening, Mr Pinker's fiancée Rebecca Holmes took his place to throw the first dart in the final match of the West Oxon Darts League season at the Strickland Arms, in Ducklington.
Father-of-two Mr Pinker, of Burford Road, Witney, was the pub's darts champion and was due to play in the match.
Instead, Miss Holmes wore her fiancé's personalised darts shirt, emblazoned with his nickname Tambourine Man and Strickland's Number 1 on the back, as she joined the pub's team.
The team won the two legs they needed against the Plough Inn, from Alvescot, to take the league title.
Surrounded by Mr Pinker's friends, work colleagues mates and fellow pub regulars, Miss Holmes also described his last words before he died.
She said: "He died in my arms. I knew he was going when he said 'I love you' as he was gasping for breath. I told him that I loved him - it all happened so quickly."
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| Stephen Pinker |
Mr Pinker worked as a doorman at pubs and clubs in Witney and Oxford and ran a property maintenance firm with his partner.
Numerous friends and fellow doormen and security staff from Witney turned up for the darts match.
Friends also presented Miss Holmes with a model of a van used in the A-Team TV series. Mr Pinker had kitted his work van out in the style of the 1980s television show.
Kevin Bunyan, of KHM Services and Mr Pinker's manager, said: "The phone hasn't stopped ringing at work with clients saying how much they will miss Steve.
"Steve was a great friend and we had a great time working together. I knew I could trust Steve. He was an ordinary bloke, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
7:43pm Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: charlotte, witney on 8:56pm Fri 28 Mar 08
[bold]bold[/bold] we will all miss Steve, me and my partner allways saw him in the Strickland Arms, in Ducklington.
rip my friend and old work mate[bold]bold[/bold]
we will all miss Steve, me and my partner allways saw him in the Strickland Arms, in Ducklington.
rip my friend and old work mate
Posted by: ian, witney on 1:11am Sat 29 Mar 08
me and my partner worked with steve in are local night club for a couple of years and he was always a great laugh and we also met him in the strickland arms and will be very much missed god bless you steve
me and my partner worked with steve in are local night club for a couple of years and he was always a great laugh and we also met him in the strickland arms and will be very much missed god bless you steve
Posted by: dee, yarnton on 1:43pm Sat 29 Mar 08
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his two children, Family and Friends.
More and more we are seeing weapons being used.
The youth who took his life was known to us as a young boy many years ago in Barton.
They grow up with this hatred and "gang" mentality and think nothing of using weapons or the consequences.
I have a daughter and three boys and i am always drumming into them NOT to get caught up in weapons or bullying etc. I make them see what can and does happen when these things happen.
Cause and effect. We need to be responsible parents and teach and stop our kids when they are young from getting into the sort of "gangs" and "running with the crowd" that we so often see.
Christopher Phips obviously knew he had no chance with Stephen in a one to one and as so often happens, resorted to a weapon.
For all you youths out their reading and following this tragic death...THINK AGAIN...YOU CARRY A WEAPON...YOU MAY USE IT...LOOK AT YOUR LIFESTYLE..YOUR BEHAVIOUR.
You ruin not only your life in the heat of the moment but so many others.
Rest in Peace Stephen.
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his two children, Family and Friends.
More and more we are seeing weapons being used.
The youth who took his life was known to us as a young boy many years ago in Barton.
They grow up with this hatred and "gang" mentality and think nothing of using weapons or the consequences.
I have a daughter and three boys and i am always drumming into them NOT to get caught up in weapons or bullying etc. I make them see what can and does happen when these things happen.
Cause and effect. We need to be responsible parents and teach and stop our kids when they are young from getting into the sort of "gangs" and "running with the crowd" that we so often see.
Christopher Phips obviously knew he had no chance with Stephen in a one to one and as so often happens, resorted to a weapon.
For all you youths out their reading and following this tragic death...THINK AGAIN...YOU CARRY A WEAPON...YOU MAY USE IT...LOOK AT YOUR LIFESTYLE..YOUR BEHAVIOUR.
You ruin not only your life in the heat of the moment but so many others.
Rest in Peace Stephen.
Posted by: eynsham, eynsham on 11:36pm Sun 6 Apr 08
Dee, i could not of said this better myself!! this Christopher Phips is a nasty arrogant and selfish man who has taken the life of such a dear loved guy!!! he is a coward and he deserves the justice of the law for what he has done!!!!!!!
He will rot in hell for the rest of his life and anyone who thinks using a weapon in a fight should stop and think!!!!! life means life!!
Dee, i could not of said this better myself!! this Christopher Phips is a nasty arrogant and selfish man who has taken the life of such a dear loved guy!!! he is a coward and he deserves the justice of the law for what he has done!!!!!!!
He will rot in hell for the rest of his life and anyone who thinks using a weapon in a fight should stop and think!!!!! life means life!!
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