A man of Maltese descent was stabbed to death in the UK on Tuesday afternoon, his father has confirmed to the Times of Malta.

Alfie Lewis, 72, said his son, St John, who turned 45 last Sunday, was attacked by a couple on his way home in his hometown in Bramley.

A 48-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with incident, Yorkshire media outlets reported. 

St John had just turned 45 a few days earlier.

“He was such a nice guy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. He had three dogs, Charlie, Delta and Luna, who he loved dearly and treated them as though they were his children,” Mr Lewis, a Ta' Xbiex resident, told the Times of Malta.

Asked how he discovered that his son had been killed, an emotional Mr Lewis said: “I got a call from his partner of 13 years, Fay, yesterday evening telling me the devastating news. It felt as if someone was choking me. I still cannot believe that he had to die this way. We all have to die but dying this way is terrible.”

According to local media reports, an ambulance with paramedics was called out to the stabbing incident just after 3pm. An Yorkshire Air Ambulance was also called to the scene and land on the street. Despite being given CPR and being shuttled to the hospital, St John Lewis succumbed to his injuries.

Mr Lewis said he did not want to bring his son to Malta to be buried here.

“There’s no way I’m going to bury him. St John will be cremated and his ashes will be spread at the Garden of Rest in Leeds cemetery, with the ashes of his mother, Patricia, who died three years ago to cancer.”

He said that since his son worked in catering, being a part-owner of a restaurant, he did not have much time to visit Malta regularly.

“We spoke almost every day via Skype. The last time I spoke to him was on Sunday morning to wish him a happy birthday. Who would have ever know that that would be the last time I would have spoken to him? It’s just terrible.”