A "loving and protective" dad died in a crash after going out to get a "naughty tea."
Sean Coffey, 55, from Little Sutton was killed on New Year's Eve after he popped out to get the ingredients to make a "naughty tea" for his long-time partner and two boys.
Sean was walking on Chester Road (A41), near the junction of Smithy Lane in Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port at 6.20pm on Saturday, December 31, when he was hit by a black BMW X5 and a grey Land Rover Discovery. Police are still appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.
Sean's partner of over 20 years has now paid tribute to the "lovely man" who was "just made to be a dad." Zoe, who shares two boys with Sean, told the ECHO: "We've never been apart since we got together all those years ago.
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"He was a lovely man. The main thing you would say about him is that he was an amazing dad to our two boys. Sean was just made to be a dad, you could tell. He was just so loving and protective.
"We've been together a long, long time. His time being a dad was the happiest time of his life.He was always helping people and he was so popular. He could make you laugh so much that your bones hurt.
"He had such a love of birds and wildlife too, and was so clever and knew so much about them. He could recognise them just from their song.
"On the night we'd been watching the film Zulu. We had held hands and we both said to each other that we would have a better year this year. We both said it.
"We'd been going through a bad time and were just starting to feel better.
"We were planning on having a bit of a naughty tea. Four burgers and potatoes to make homemade chips, that's all he'd gone out for.
"Sean had popped over to the shop. He'd wished everyone a happy New Year - he knew everyone in the shop, the local Premier, and they loved him.
"He'd seen one of his friends in there. They' had been teasing him a bit because Sean had grown a little white beard, and then he left and two seconds later he was dead.
"I was wondering where he was because he hadn't come back. I thought he might've gone with a friend to get a pint or something.
"Then two coppers came to the door, both with their hats in their hand. They asked if it was alright to step in and they told me Sean had been in an incident.
"I knew the answer to the question but I asked it anyway. I asked if he had passed away and they said yes. The surreal thing was that we were sat there broken as the New Year's fireworks all went off around us.
"I feel like I'm in limbo, it's horrible. The kids, they're being so brave. The way they're handling it, I couldn't be more proud. But it's not all about me. He was a brother too, I know his sisters are broken without him.
"My dad has been my absolute rock. My whole family have been there to support me.
"The kids have been amazing. And strangers have been so kind and generous - I really didn't realise how popular Sean was and how much he was loved by everybody."
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