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A 45-year-old Exeter man has been identified as the victim who died over the weekend after being stabbed.

Police Department has identified the victim of the weekend fight in Exeter as Stephen Cook, famously known as ‘Cookie’. Stephen is also named Hero Stephen Cook for his courageous act of saving the life of an unconscious man from the river Exe in 2017. Stephen, a homeless man, was found with chest wounds from a stabbing at Sidwell Street in Exeter at around 8:10 p.m. by the police over the weekend. He was then immediately taken to the nearby hospital but lost his life due to the injuries that occurred from the stabbing.

Investigation Details

Christchurch, a 19-year-old man and a Bournemouth resident, was initially detained on suspicion of murder but later detained on suspicion of affray. He was released on bail but still in police custody and ordered to report on Thursday, April 27.

In his statement, Investigation Chief Inspector Stephanie Blundell said: “Enquiries are ongoing, and citizens can expect to see continued police activity in Exeter related to this investigation over the next week.

“Given the current investigation, we would ask individuals to refrain from making assumptions about the facts of this case on social media.” On Monday, January 30, at roughly 2.30 am, the police barricades in Sidwell Street were lifted.

Stephen Cook stabbed in Exeter

Image Source: Medico Topics

What was Hero Stephen Cook’s story?

Stephen is a homeless man on the streets of Exeter who spent most of his life in prison for crimes including drug and alcohol addiction and rough sleeping on the streets. Although with these negative statements, we cannot conclude that Stephen was a deficient man. 

Stephen was once a family man who lived with his wife and children and worked as a steel fixer. He was also gifted with exceptional qualities, including guitarist and carving coloured stones into gifts.

Stephen, about his life journey, said that his drug and alcohol addiction ruined his life, and he wanted to start a new life after quitting narcotics. Despite being in the worst situation, Stephen looked forward to leading a better life. 

He said: “I don’t want to revert to my former self. I don’t want to get into trouble again because I’ve spent the better part of my life behind bars.” Added him: “I have two children who live in North Devon and are 23 and 21 years old, which is one of the reasons I wish to change.”

“Third-year university student; my daughter. She makes me proud, and I want her to feel the same about me.” He continued, full of hope that his life would improve: “I don’t want to use drug use as a justification any longer. I do drink every day to help me get through hard sleeping.”

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