Robert Hart, who lived in Wavertree and was a former art and design student at Liverpool John Moores University, went to Parklife festival on June 7, 2014 to enjoy a weekend of music and fun with his girlfriend. His family never saw him again.
"I ask the person that punched him 'why? What was the reason for such an aggressive punch?' What was going through their mind? Robert loved life and he should be here enjoying himself, having children, living his life. He went to Parklife to enjoy himself and he never came home." Robert was the youngest of her four children - "a complete surprise but beautiful". He grew up in Rainow, Macclesfield. He then went on to study art and design at Liverpool John Moores University. After graduating, Robert remained in the city and moved in with his girlfriend, Gemma Parry.
On the afternoon of June 7, Robert and his girlfriend Gemma caught the train from Liverpool to Manchester with two friends. Rain lashed down as the group made the journey to a muddy Heaton Park, where Parklife was being held for the second time following its move from Platt Fields Park in 2013. She said: “Rob said to the guy, ‘What are you playing at?’ in a normal tone, he wasn’t being aggressive.”Gemma added: "I fell to the floor in the mud and then saw Rob hit the floor. He was lying on his back looking up at the sky. I was screaming. He started to turn purple. He wasn’t responding."Kerri told the inquest: “I heard a thud - it was calculated, an extremely powerful punch. This wasn’t someone drunkenly throwing a punch at someone.
She said: "We didn't have any details. We just knew that he had been knocked unconscious and the paramedics had taken him to North Manchester and he had been there overnight." Officers believe he had short, dark hair which was shaved at the sides. He may have been with several people including an "unknown woman". She was white and aged in her mid-20s. She was possibly wearing a pink t-shirt, had blonde, shoulder-length hair and was around 5ft 7in tall.
Frustratingly, police believe the attacker was just out of shot on the mobile phone image that captured Robert and Gemma dancing in the crowd. Detectives believe the photograph was just "one frame away" from capturing the face of the man who moments later would throw the punch that ended Robert's life.