Family of soldier killed in Chesterfield 'bottle attack' pay tribute to 'beautiful boy'

Sheffield United fan Joseph Robotham was taken to hospital following an incident outside Vibe bar, on Holywell Street, during the early hours of Saturday, February 8, at around 3.50am, and sadly died the following night.

His family have spoken of their grief at losing the popular 23-year-old, who served in the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment for four years and had completed exercises in Canada, Lithuania and Oman.

“Joseph was our beautiful boy. He was cruelly taken away from us,” they said.

“He was larger than life and had experienced the world. We love him so much, he will always be missed and will we never recover.”

Connor Rose, 24, of no fixed abode, appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court on Tuesday February 10, charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon, and was remanded into custody.

A second man, aged 28, was arrested on suspicion of affray and has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

More than £1,750 has been donated to an online fundraising page set up in Joseph’s memory to help cover the cost of his funeral, and friends have paid their respects, calling him an ‘amazing’, ‘great’ and ‘genuine’ young man.

He was also described as a ‘Sheffield United fan and a football fanatic’.

To donate to the fundraising page, visit www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-joe-robotham.