THE GRIEVING girlfriend of a Southend man who died after being stabbed in the street says losing the father of her child was “like a bad dream”.

Elizabeth Wade was in hospital in Middlesex with their baby son, Eli, who had a virus, when she heard Michael Haastrup had been stabbed.

Ms Wade, 25, rushed to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, with Eli, her mother and her sister in the early hours of Thursday, April 17.

Doctors had planned to move Mr Haastrup to a hospital in Cambridge, but he died at about 9am, before they could stabilise him.

Ms Wade said she still couldn’t believe what had happened. She added: “It doesn’t feel real, even now.

“It’s still like a bad dream. The whole thing was like something I could never have imagined.

“I heard what had happened at about midnight and tried to call Mike’s phone, but it was off.

“So I called a friend he was with, who told me what had happened and said he was on the way to hospital.

“When I called back, he said the hospital had said it wasn’t serious, but I broke down when I heard the truth.”

Ms Wade said she was trying to stay strong for baby Eli and had been grateful for the support of her partner’s family. She added: “They have been really lovely and supportive.

“They’re staying positive despite the shock, and I’ve spent some time with them, because I was in bits.

They’re remembering all the good times.”

Mr Haastrup, 24, grew up in Brixton, South London, and moved to Southend when he was 15. Ms Wade met him in Southend.

She said: “From the day our son was born, Michael worshipped him, getting up for the night feeds, bathing him and singing to him at bedtime.

“He was a true family man who idolised his mum, dad and sister. We were planning our future, looking forward to family holidays, our son’s christening and all the fun times we would share together.

“Michael was a loving, caring, man, who would come home with surprise gifts for me and our son and always put others before himself. He helped people who were not as fortunate as him. He was my world and everybody’s superhero.”

! AN inquest into Mr Haastrup’s death, in Braintree on Wednesday, April 16, opened and adjourned at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court yesterday.

A Leigh man has appeared in court accused of his murder. Luke Eva, 24, of Avondale Drive, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody until his next appearance, at Chelmsford Crown Court, on Monday, June 23.