Dad dies nine weeks after daughter’s birth

NICK Briggs had never looked happier as he danced around the sitting room with his nine-weekold daughter in his arms.

A day later, with Christmas just around the corner, the 40-year-old died suddenly at home after suffering a heart attack.

Today, his mum Linda Briggs, 70, speaking at her home in Greendykes Road, recalled the moment she received the devastating call from his fiancée Claire Curry.

She added: “I’ll have an abiding memory of Nick dancing around my sitting room with his new baby daughter Ailsa in his arms the day before he died.

“He’d had a lovely weekend spending quality father and son time with nine-year-old Conal on the Saturday and then a happy day with his partner Claire on the Sunday. “I’d never seen him so happy. “It was a lovely weekend but then on the Monday, Nick complained to Claire that he wasn’t feeling well.”

She said an ambulance was called to their Claverhouse home.

However, Nick died before it arrived.

Linda said: “Claire phoned me to say to get to the house quickly.

“At first, I thought something had happened to Ailsa.

“Then I said to myself, God, don’t let it be Nick’.”

Claire said: “As hard as our loss is, I’m full of pride for Nick.”

Nick was born in Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital and moved around with his family because of his dad’s job.

It was while they were living in Inverness that Nick, aged six, was with his dad, Billy, in his car.

Billy suffered a heart attack and died at the wheel.

Not long after, the family moved back to Dundee.

After leaving Monifieth High School, Nick studied to be a sound engineer and worked at a few other jobs before landing one as a sound engineer and roadie, meeting a lot of top stars.

Linda said Nick loved music and formed a band of his own — called One Bud — along with friends.

He also spent time busking on the streets in Perth and played in the samba band at Perth College. ‘please

She added: “He loved Bob Marley and we’re going to play his Redemption Song at the funeral.”

Recently, Nick had been working in the wind farm industry, including spells in Holland and Germany.

Linda said a work colleague of Nick’s in Holland had sent her a lovely tribute, saying that he was more than a good friend and was more a brother in arms.

“He told me Nick was a true leader and a great family man who would be missed,” she said.

Nick with Claire and baby Ailsa. Nick died suddenly of a heart attack at home.