A year ago this weekend, a young man was killed at one of the UK’s biggest music festivals, right in the middle of the crowd. An estimated 70,000 people were there. But no one saw who did it. Or at least no one has been prepared to tell police.
Robert Hart, 26, was at Parklife in Manchester when he got into an argument with a man after his girlfriend was hit with an inflatable doll just before headline act Snoop Dogg took to the stage on the Saturday night. The row escalated, despite Hart’s efforts to defuse the situation. Then he received a blow to the head. He died in hospital four days later.
Officers from Greater Manchester police (GMP) have investigated 227 people whose names were put forward as suspects by members of the public. All have been eliminated.
As Parklife prepares to open this Saturday, detectives have reissued an appeal for anyone at the festival last year to send in photos and video taken during the event.
“Robert’s attacker is on one of those photos somewhere, but we still need the public’s help to find him and bring some peace to the loved ones he has left behind,” said DS Phil Reade, who is leading the investigation.
His team has reviewed hundreds of hours of video footage and forensically examined many hundreds of photographs provided by media outlets, Parklife organisers and members of the public.
“We have been within a few feet of having seeing this man in a picture and being able to identify him, but unfortunately the shot we need has eluded us,” Reade said. “That is why this push for anyone who was at Parklife last year to send in any footage or pictures they may have of the event is so important. Robert’s attacker is on one of those photos somewhere, but we still need the public’s help to find him and bring some peace to the loved ones he has left behind.”
The victim’s mother, Elaine, described her son as “the kindest boy, loved and adored by us all”. “Somebody knows who did this and I urge them to come forward,” she said this week. “We are heartbroken. We are devastated. It will never get any easier. We will never accept the loss of Robert. If you know who it is, morally you must give the name to the police.”
She said it was wrong for Parklife to go ahead this year while Robert’s killer remained at large. “I think it should have been stopped, but it obviously hasn’t, so let’s hope and pray that no one else gets killed.”
Sacha Lord-Marchionne, who runs Parklife, said: “Parklife was inaugurated in 2010 and over the years, been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of customers from all over the country. In 2013, Robert Hart attended Parklife at Heaton Park. He enjoyed it so much, that he returned again in 2014. Sadly, in 2014, Robert was involved in a tragic incident … which later led to Robert passing away.
“Immediately, Parklife as an organisation, worked closely with GMP, in order to help find the suspect. Customers came together and worked with Parklife, in sending over images that would take weeks to go through … With Parklife happening again this weekend, the organisation has been working closely with GMP, in order to put measures in place during the weekend to try and jog customers’ memories. We urge customers prior to the festival, to re-look through last year’s images/videos and send anything of interest to GMP.”
The investigation has set up a new email address, helpbobby@gmp.police.uk, for any photographs or video footage sent. A £23,000 reward offered by the Parklife organisers and Crimestoppers remains available to anyone who provides information leading to the conviction of Hart’s attacker.
