Robert was at a festival with his girlfriend. His family never saw him again

A mother is ‘just existing’ after her son died in a fatal punch at a festival.

Robert Hart, who lived in Wavertree and was a former art and design student at Liverpool John Moores University, went to the Parklife festival on June 7, 2014 to enjoy a weekend of music and fun with his girlfriend. His family never saw him again.

The 26-year-old stepped in to protect his girlfriend who was hit with an inflatable toy. An argument ensued in which one man hit Robert in the head. He fell to the ground unconscious and died in hospital a few days later, the Manchester Evening News reports.

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His killer was never caught. Today marks a decade since Robert was attacked – and the moment his mother’s life changed forever. His death continues to have a profound impact on Elaine, who is left desperate for answers and closure.

She said, “I just exist. My kids and grandkids help me tremendously, but every morning I wake up and look at Robert’s photo… and I look at Robert’s photo when I go to bed.

“I ask the person who hit him “why? What was the reason for such an aggressive punch?” What was going through their minds Robert loved life and should be out here having fun, having kids, living his life.

Robert, who grew up in Macclesfield, would have celebrated his 36th birthday in March. For a grieving Elaine, the thought of what her son endured in his final days will always be deeply painful.

Paying tribute to her boy, whom she described as a ‘true gentleman’, she said: ‘Robert was exceptionally kind. He was very funny and had a fantastic sense of humor. He loved life and loved meeting people. He was a good, kind, honest person.

“If anyone needed help, he was always the first one there. He would help anyone. We had this good relationship and a laughing joke. He used to call me Elaine, Mommy and Mommy.”

Robert was the youngest of her four children – “a complete but beautiful surprise”. He grew up in Rainow, Macclesfield. He then studied art and design at Liverpool John Moores University. After graduating, Robert stayed in the city and moved in with his girlfriend, Gemma Parry.

He found a job in customer service at Barclays but returned home regularly to visit Elaine, his brother Richard, sisters Rachel and Nicola and his nieces and nephews. Robert also loved to travel and had done Camp America twice as well as embarking on adventures through Europe and Thailand.

Music was another passion. Robert was a talented guitarist and could often be found with one strapped to his back. Although he had been to other festivals, 2014 would be his first time at Parklife.

Elaine said she last spoke to her son in the days leading up to the festival.

She said: “I said ‘have fun Robert. Have a good time and see you when you get back.” I always told him “wherever you are Rob, just be careful”. He would say “I know my mother”.

“Parklife was so close to home. It’s traveled the world, so you think ‘it’s a festival’. He wanted to go have fun, he wasn’t a fighter. He didn’t go to cause trouble, he simply went to listen to music.”

On the afternoon of June 7, Robert and his girlfriend Gemma caught the train from Liverpool to Manchester with two friends. Rain pelted down as the group made the journey to a muddy Heaton Park, where Parklife was held for the second time since its move from Platt Fields Park in 2013.

The group arrived at the festival around 17.00. At some point that evening, the party broke up. Around 8.50pm, Robert and Gemma headed to the main stage for Snoop Dogg’s headlining set. As London drum and bass band Rudimental finished their hour-long set, thousands gathered in anticipation.

A mobile phone picture taken at the time showed Robert and Gemma dancing together in an area to the right of the stage. Robert is smiling in the photo.

Giving evidence at an inquest into Robert’s death in 2015, Gemma described how she and Robert were waiting for Snoop Dogg to come on stage at around 9.15pm when an inflatable doll hit her in the head.

She said: “Rob said to the guy, ‘What are you playing at?’ in a normal tone, he wasn’t aggressive.”

She said she then tried to get between Robert and the man who punched him.

Gemma added: “I fell to the floor in the mud and then I saw Rob hit the floor. He was lying on his back looking up at the sky. I was screaming. He started turning purple. He was unresponsive.”

An off-duty midwife, Kerri Melero, resuscitated Robert when he was unconscious on the ground.

Kerri told the inquest: “I heard a thud – it was calculated, an extremely powerful punch. This wasn’t someone punching someone drunk.

“I saw Gemma shouting at the man: ‘What have you done to him? What did you do to him?’. This was a man who needed medical attention. His face was turning blue.”

The midwife successfully resuscitated Robert and color returned to his face. He even managed to stand up – despite suffering a brain bleed. He was seen by paramedics before being taken to North Manchester General Hospital.

Back home in Macclesfield, Elaine was oblivious to the horror of what was happening. It wasn’t until the next morning, when she was at a car boot sale in Leek, Staffordshire, that she received a phone call informing her that Robert had been “attacked and punched”.

She said: “We didn’t have any details. All we knew was that he was knocked unconscious and the paramedics took him to North Manchester and he was there overnight.”

They headed to the hospital, where they found Robert in an induced coma in intensive care. He was later transferred to Salford Hospital, where he died on June 11 – four days after the attack.

At the inquest in 2015, coroner Nigel Meadows ruled that medical failures, including the misinterpretation of a CT scan revealing a serious head injury, also contributed to Robert’s death. Following the attack, the person who punched Robert managed to escape when another festival-goer, believed to be a woman, entered and dragged him into the crowd.

The attacker was described as being of mixed race and aged in his 20s at the time in 2014. Police said he was 6 to 6 feet 2 inches tall with a muscular build.

Police believe he had short, dark hair that was shaved to the side. He may have been with several people, including an “unknown woman.” She was white and about 20 years old. She may be wearing a pink t-shirt, has shoulder length blonde hair and is around 5ft 7in.

A huge murder investigation followed the attack. Police launched the ‘Help Bobby’ campaign, appealing for witnesses and information.

Detectives were “overwhelmed” by the public’s response and received hundreds of emails and images. A £23,000 reward was offered, footage of people in the crowd was released and more than 230 potential suspects were investigated and cleared from enquiries.

An e-fit of the suspect was also posted in Manchester. At the height of the investigation, the police were convinced that they were “on the verge” of catching the guilty person.

Frustratingly, police believe the attacker just got off on the mobile phone footage which captured Robert and Gemma dancing in the crowd. Detectives believe the photo was just “a frame away” from capturing the face of the man who moments later would throw the punch that ended Robert’s life.

In the years since, there have been repeated calls from the police and Robert’s loved ones. However, the person who hit Robert was never identified. Earlier this year Greater Manchester Police offered a £50,000 reward in a desperate bid to find the man responsible.

Meanwhile, Elaine remains desperate for answers about what happened to her son.

In a direct appeal to anyone who may have information about Robert’s attacker, she said: “If anyone knows of that person please come forward and name them so we as Robert’s family can get closure.

“It’s not just me who misses Robert. His whole family, his nieces, nephews, they all just adored him.”

Elaine continues to visit Robert’s grave in Macclesfield Cemetery several times a week, laying flowers and talking to her boy.

She said: “No one understands the pain and emotion of losing a child unless you have experienced it. You expect to lose your parents, but you don’t expect to lose your child under such circumstances.

“I tell him how much I miss him and love him. This is my life and I ask “why? Why did you hit Robert so hard that you knocked him unconscious and then caused him to bleed on the brain?”

Detective Inspector Madeline Kelly, of GMP’s Major Crime Assessment Unit, added: “Ten years have passed since Robert’s death. There may be someone who knows who is responsible – even the person himself.

“Ten years is a long time for a family to not have those answers. We are fully committed to finding the person responsible and have a £50,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution and conviction of the person responsible.

“We really want people to look at their current position. Things may have changed, beliefs in ten years can change.

“During that weekend, we know there were other attacks. It is very important that members of the public understand and know that this is an ongoing investigation. We haven’t found the person responsible.”

Detectives have created a public portal for major incidents where photos and videos can be uploaded. The link to the portal can be found HERE. Information can also be sent via a dedicated email address – [email protected]. You can also scan the QR code above.

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