THE grieving partner of father-of-two Jay Abatan today spoke of her loss.

Tanya Haynes, 30, said: "Jay was a life force, the most alive person you would ever meet, and the most wonderful daddy in the world."

Mr Abatan, 42, died from severe head injuries after a dispute at a Brighton taxi-rank.

Tanya, the mother of their two children, a boy of seven and girl of five, spent a week by her partner's bedside at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital, holding his hand and talking to him.

She cradled him in his arms when he died, just hours after medical staff decided to switch off his life support machine.

aughter

Tanya broke the news to her children. She said: "My son is just like Jay - he was very brave - and my daughter is more like me, more emotional, and expressed exactly what she felt.

"She said she would never be able to say 'daddy' again and would only see the word in her reading books.

"Jay was the most wonderful daddy in the world and the children's loss is the biggest pain for me.

"My daughter was his beautiful angel and he adored her. My son was his best friend. When Jay was around, all you heard was laughter. He made life an adventure for them.

"At parties, he would roll around the floor, and play games or football with them.

He loved cooking, feeding people and entertaining. My son is now cooking Chinese food like he did."

Tanya and Jay, of Meads, Eastbourne, met nine years ago through friends and Tanya knew early in their relationship that "he was the man I knew I wanted to be with for life."

Jay, born in Lewisham, south London, was one of three children. His late mother was from Kent and his father from Nigeria.

At six, he went to Nigeria, where his father had business interests.

He came back to Britain when he was 18 and set up home in Worthing, where he had an aunt.

He studied accountancy and worked locally before joining one of the world's largest firms, PriceWaterhouseCoopers in London.

He was a stocks and shares tax specialist and was earmarked for promotion to senior manager later this year.

riend

Tanya, a hospital psychotherapist, said: "Jay made everyone feel comfortable. So many people considered him their best friend."

Jay played football for a Worthing team until the couple moved to Eastbourne two years ago.

He gave up soccer but kept fit playing squash and cycling.

His younger brother Michael is said to be shattered by his death, as is his sister Michelle, who has flown from her home in Jamaica.

Tanya thanked her children's school, Brighton police and hospital staff, in particular two nurses Carolyn Keys and Peter Morgan, for their professionalism and dedication.

Police, meanwhile, are trying to trace a taxi driver of Middle Eastern appearance who picked up two women and a man in Grand Parade at about 3am on January 24, when Jay was injured.

The driver took the man to Morley Street and the woman to Aymer Road, Hove.

Two men have been charged with manslaughter following Jay's death. Peter Bell, 35, of Addison Road, Hove, and Graham Curtis, 37, of Norfolk Square, Brighton, were appearing before magistrates today. They are also accused of affray and causing actual bodily harm.

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