Kristina Bennett had been planning her wedding with Matthew Coussons and had even picked out her dress, according to a neighbour of the Whitby couple.

Today, Coussons remains in jail, charged with Bennett’s second-degree murder, after turning himself in on the weekend.

A friend who knew Bennett from a local gym described an energetic young woman who loved her infant son.

“She was bubbly, crazy, full of all kinds of laughter and loved life,” said the friend. She said the couple was engaged.

“She was all excited about planning her wedding and just purchased her wedding dress.”

Coussons, 29, was remanded in custody following an appearance in bail court Sunday. He’s scheduled to appear in court by video July 20.

Coussons was charged with second-degree murder after walking into a police station in Oshawa on Saturday morning and claiming something had happened to his girlfriend, Durham police said.

‘Somebody was killed here”: Whitby man charged in girlfriend’s murder

Bennett was stabbed to death, police have confirmed.

A Facebook page belonging to Bennett features numerous pictures of her and the distinctive-looking Coussons, who has several prominent facial tattoos. In some of the photos he and Bennett are seen in affectionate poses; in others, the woman is cradling an infant.

On Sunday morning, Unit 49 at 123 Eric Clarke Dr. was still taped off by police as uniformed officers sat outside the home, part of the Garrard Heights complex owned by Durham Region Non-Profit Housing. The area is a mix of subsidized and market-rate townhouses.

Behind the police tape sat neatly stacked blue boxes on the porch. A small garden planted with pansies boasted a cheerful green ‘Welcome’ sign.

A nearby neighbour described the victim as a “beautiful young woman” who had a 5-month-old baby. She said Bennett mainly kept to herself.

“As far as I know she moved in here around Christmas, so she really hasn’t been here that long,” said the neighbour.

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The neighbour said she arrived home Saturday and saw one of the entrances to the complex blocked off and a slew of emergency vehicles.

“My neighbour turned around and said to me, ‘Somebody was killed here,” she said.