Mum-to-be's partner smiled and said he loved her - but then he never came home

A devastated mum-to-be has told how her suddenly died whilst walking home - just weeks after the couple discovered they were having a .

Beth Gibson was due to tie the knot with her partner of eight years, Richard Furneaux - also known as Richard Fuller - when he died unexpectedly aged 40. The beloved dad had smiled at her and told her he loved her hours before his body was recovered by police in Sedgefield on May 11. According to the , preliminary findings suggest Richard had suffered a while on his walk home from Sedgefield in .

Beth, from Newton Aycliffe, said: "He had rang me and said he would be home in a couple of hours and then his phone died as he was trying to walk home from Sedgefield. He went out smiling on the Saturday and said 'I love you, see you soon' and when he didn't come back I thought it was a bit . I rang his mobile but it was dead. I thought to myself it's Richard, he'll be back soon."

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When Beth woke the following morning and there was no cup of tea waiting for her - something Richard would do every morning - she knew something was wrong and immediately contacted the police to report him missing. The 29-year-old said: "He had battled mental health and cancer - stage three high-grade lymphoma.

"He was diagnosed in 2021 and rang the cancer bell in 2022 with his little boy Bentley by his side. But then he was stolen by a heart attack when he was walking home.

"He was desperately trying to get home to me and his kids. We were planning our wedding on Friday. We were going to go down to Cornwall, his favourite place, in the school holidays to look at venues for our wedding. And now I'm planning his funeral."

Opening up about how she met Richard, Beth said the pair hit it off at a car-meet through their shared love of vehicles and that she was immediately attracted to his "big blue eyes and cheeky grin", which their children Bentley and Riley have inherited.

Richard, also dad to Cameron, 20, Alesha, 18, Jake, 15, and a father figure to Corie, 21, was well-known in the car scene, having started the group Cleveland Cruise Scene, which "reignited the car scene" in the area. Beth said the group raised thousands for charity and local groups, including Grangetown boys football club U8s, reports .

She added: "Anything we could do to help people, we did from our heart and soul. Richard cared about everybody. It didn't matter whether you were young, old, black, white, religious, non-religious, it didn't matter. We did what we could for everybody." She added that Richard was "VW mad", and that trips to show rooms in Milton Keynes with his grandad had sparked his love for cars.

It was a passion that spilled into all areas of Richard's life, including his family life and career. Within just eight months of Richard landing a job at Kwik Fit in 2022, he had worked his way up to a management role and had spent time working at a number of branches throughout the North East.

Richard and Beth's love of cars also inspired the names of the children they have together, Bentley, aged four, and Riley, who will be one on Saturday. Richard also picked two car-related names for his unborn child before he passed away. Beth, who is 18 weeks pregnant, added: "We find out what we're having on the 28th and I've booked to go to the funeral directors straight after the scan to tell him what we're having."

Paying tribute to Richard, she said: "Richard was an amazing man. He was always there for people in their hour of need. If there was a car broken down or an accident, Richard would be the first to stop." Richard also leaves behind mum Carol and brother Ashley who remember his kind and caring nature from a young age.

Loved-ones have been raising money towards the cost of Richard's funeral and support for his family through a .