Parklife organisers offer £20,000 reward for help finding Robert Hart’s killer

Parklife festival is offering a £20,000 reward for help finding the sick thug who killed Robert Hart two weeks ago.

Hart, 26, died in hospital last Wednesday after he was punched in the head when protecting his girlfriend.

“Tomorrow marks a week since the sad passing of Robert Hart and our thoughts continue to be with his family who have been going through unthinkable pain since then,” said the Parklife team in a Facebook post yesterday.

“From the start we believed that, out of the 70,000 people at the festival, there must have been one person who knows who was responsible for this cowardly act.

“After careful consultation with GMP, who have in turn been in extremely close communication with the family, we are now able to offer £20,000 for information which leads the authorities to identifying the attacker and convicting him for the crime.

“The response from the public in support of the family has been overwhelming so far.

“Please, if you have any information that can help, please call on 0161 856 9283

“We will not stop until the offender is caught. RIP Robert Hart.”

The announcement of the reward follows a police appeal for information relating to the incident.

Detective Inspector Richard Eales of Greater Manchester Police said “Our immediate thoughts go out to Robert’s family and loved ones.

“We currently have specially trained officers with them to help through this terrible time.

“We are still in the early stages of this investigation, however several witnesses have assisted us with vital information concerning the description of the offender.

“We believe a confrontation took place following an inflatable doll hitting Robert’s girlfriend.

“We are aware other assaults took place in the park that evening , but I am specifically appealing for witnesses who recall seeing the inflatable doll and the attack on Robert immediately thereafter.

“I am keen for those witnesses to come forward and other persons nearby who may have mobile phone footage of the attack or captured an image of the person responsible.

“Finally, if you are the man responsible or were with him that evening, please come forward.”

The attack was just one of a number of assaults at the festival, which was headlined by Snoop Dogg.

Brothers Daniel and Craig Welch were stabbed with broken bottles by two Ecstasy dealers after they declined to buy any.

Daniel, aged 19, suffered serious neck injuries after he was slashed with the vodka bottle, and his older brother Jonathan said he thought he was going to die.

He told Manchester Evening News: “At one stage it looked like he might lose his arm as the knife had gone right through the muscle.

“He was slipping in and out of consciousness and we had to keep waking him up.

“It happened in the middle of a field between the main stage and another one at 7.30pm on Saturday.

“It was a shambles, my mate had to hold the wound together until the paramedics arrived.

“I would like to know how someone was able to get a litre bottle of vodka and knives into the event when people are supposed to be checked.”

Another 17-year-old boy required 100 stitches after thugs slashed him across the face in front of the main stage in an attack described as unprovoked.

Police have now arrested two men in connection with stabbings at Parklife.

Anyone with information should contact the incident room directly on 0161 85 69283 or email the incident room on [email protected] with any relevant footage.

Alternatively you can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.