Police have offered a £20,000 reward for information to find the thugs who brutally attacked a lifelong Liverpool FC fan.
Simon Dobbin, who used to live in Ormskirk, was left trapped in his own body, unable to walk or talk after he was targeted at a pub while he was at an away game in Essex in 2015.
Simon died at his home in October last year, five years on from the horrific attack.
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A post-mortem examination identified a "causal link" between the injuries he sustained and his death and Essex Police are now treating his death as a homicide - a term which covers both murder and manslaughter charges.
In 2017, thirteen people were convicted and sentenced in connection with the violent disorder in which Mr Dobbin was injured.
Today (Tuesday, November 16), Essex Police and the charity Crimestoppers have launched a reward of up to £20,000 for information which could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or people directly responsible for Simon's death, Essex Live has reported.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings announced the reward this morning, asking for any members of public to come forward with details that could help their investigation - including the 13 people originally arrested and convicted.
He said: "A lot has changed in six years, a lot were quite young at the time and have grown up, have probably got families themselves.
"You should come forward if you are not physically responsible for Simon's assault that sadly led to his death last year."
He added that they have analysed forensics, suspect interviews and the previous court proceedings but need information on who is physically responsible for assaulting Simon, adding the investigation would be a challenge but "not impossible".
The Superintendent also appealed to anyone who may have heard any "whispers" over the last few years from conversations or things they saw that may help their efforts progress.
Speaking at the press conference this morning, Nicole Dobbin, Simon's wife and full time carer, described her husband as a "kind, caring and loving soul."
She said: "To see such a strong personality and independent man beaten to the point he was unable to take care of himself, to communicate his own needs and wishes and to miss out on life as a whole was devastating.
"Simon was the life and soul of any party, there was never a dark day when he was around.
"We lost part of him the day he was attacked but together we kept smiling and continued to give him the best life we could.
“As a family we had to come to terms with the fact he would never be the Simon we all knew and loved - we were just grateful to still have some part of him. His gorgeous smile could light up any room and see the twinkle in his eyes."
She added: “But being grateful for this also highlighted how selfish we were being. We could see the pain and suffering he was experiencing daily and the worst part of this, was there was nothing we could do to take this away.
"From the moment Simon awoke from his comas, doctors were very transparent about Simon's injuries and that his life expectancy was short and he would inevitably die from his injuries. However, we didn't realise just how little time we had left."
On the day Simon died, Nicole said the family had to say their goodbyes again "but this time forever".
She added: "As much as it pained us to say a final goodbye, we now had peace knowing he was no longer trapped inside his battered body with no escape.
“We have had five of the most horrendous years and have now got to grieve all over again.
“Whilst the individuals who planned and carried out this attack walk free, left to live their lives however they wish, without a second thought for any of us."
Nicole urged anyone with information about the attack on Mr Dobbin to come forward, adding: "Any details, no matter how small, will aid in the ongoing investigation.”
Anyone with information is advised to contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
To be eligible for the £20,000 reward, you must report information to the charity Crimestoppers.
In the press conference Simon's daughter said losing her dad has been like "grieving twice".
Emily had been at university studying when her dad died, five years after the attack that irrevocably changed all of their lives.
She said: "It's been like grieving twice.
"The first time, we still had some part of him but last year when he died, we had to go through the whole process again.
We are living the whole thing again, going back to that night he was attacked, we are living that night every day now.
"We were convinced Simon would wake up with a headache in the very early days but we lost a big part of him that day and we grieved for what we lost.
"But we continued to try and give him the best life we could but then that was taken away as well."
