‘Help dad, help’.

Those were the last words of Beau Robinson after he was beaten to death by love-rival Daniel Hicks outside his Burnham home last June. 

Today, former Marlow FC captain Hicks, of Cippenham Lane, Slough, was jailed for more than nine years for manslaughter. 

His co-defendant, Martin Fleming, of Bideford Spur, Slough, was locked up for 30 months for violent disorder. 

RECAP: Everything said in court as two men sentenced for death of Beau Robinson

Father-of-four Beau Robinson, who was 35 at the time of his death, collapsed into his dad’s arms on father’s day (June 20) 2021. 

He and Hicks had arranged to fight on Wyndham Crescent in Burnham after exchanging aggressive messages over WhatsApp earlier that day. 

Reading Crown Court heard how Robinson arrived with a baseball bat and Hicks arrived with a knife. 

Three others, including Fleming, had been called to the fight in support of Hicks. 

Prosecutor James Lofthouse read statements from witnesses who claimed to have seen Robinson and Hicks engage in what looked like ‘drunken pub fighting’. 

The court heard how Hicks forced Robinson into a headlock and punched him 27 times in the head and dealt a blow with his knee to his stomach. 

Richard Wormald QC, defending for Hicks, said CCTV footage showed Hicks throwing his knife away as Robinson approached with the bat. 

Hicks threw punches at Robinson before being hit with the bat. 

After 25 seconds of fighting, Mr Wormald said, Hicks lifted his knee to hit Robinson in the stomach. 

Hicks and the three other men fled the scene as Robinson stumbled back to his residence with his parents. 

As he came back, Robinson’s father could see his face was distorted. 

His father immediately called 999 and placed his son in the recovery position. 

Mr Lofthouse, recounting the father’s version of events, claimed Robinson said: ‘help dad, help’.

His father tried to tell him help was ‘on the way’ but he slumped into his arms. 

He was unresponsive by the time an ambulance arrived. He was unable to be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at 3.10pm. 

Between these times, Hicks was sending messages to Robinson over WhatsApp, calling him a 'girl' for 'coming out with a bat' and suggesting 'this could have been settled with a pint'.

Mr Wormald, Hicks’s barrister, said of his client: “He expresses through me his genuine shock and disbelief at what happened. 

“Although he was engaged in unlawful fighting, the death of Mr Robinson was unusual and he intended no serious harm.”

Hicks was arrested on June 22 and Fleming was arrested on June 23. The former pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the latter admitted violent disorder on the first day a murder trial was due to start on February 7. 

The trial was called off after the Crown Prosecution Service accepted these pleas.

Reading Crown Court heard how there was animosity between Hicks and Robinson as the latter was dating the former’s ex-partner. 

They had a confrontation some six weeks before the incident in Burnham where Hicks punched Robinson in the face. 

The pair’s row escalated on June 19 at the party of Hicks’s young daughter and continued into the next morning as the pair sent each other aggressive messages. 

They arranged to meet for a fight and Hicks brought Fleming, 20, with him. 

Graham Trembath QC, defending for Fleming, said his role was “limited, fleeting and tentative” as he picked up a bottle and made contact with Robinson but did not attack him. 

His Honour Judge Paul Dugdale, sentencing, said: “Beau Robinson was 35-years-old. He met with Daniel Hicks to sort issues they had. 

“There was violence, as a result of which he tragically lost his life. 

“It is truly impossible to put into words the loss that his family feel at his passing, in particular for his four children. 

“It is a tragedy that everybody in this room is here today for an event that could have so easily been avoided.”

He said there was “bad blood” between the pair and Hicks was “jealous” of Robinson’s relationship with his ex-partner. 

Describing the fight, he added: “Hicks got Robinson in a headlock and repeatedly punches in the head with what looks like hard punches. 

“At some point towards the end of the incident, you can see Hicks' knee make contact with Robinson's incident. 

“From the CCTV it does not appear to be a very hard blow. It is a scuffle where it is clear Hicks had the upper hand.

“It is clear that it was Hicks who was being the more violent of the two. 

“Thought it must be said where Robinson had a chance to swing his bat, he does. 

“Martin Fleming moves towards the two of them while they are together. He bends down and appears to have some contact with them, though he does not appear to swing at them. 

“His involvement lasts about two seconds, but he clearly does get involved in the violence and was there in support of his friend Daniel Hicks to get involved in unlawful violence.”

The judge said none of Robinson’s injuries were immediately life-threatening, but he suffered a “significant laceration” of the tissues around the stomach and this caused extensive internal bleeding. 

Robinson had three litres of blood in the abdominal cavity, and it was this loss of blood that caused his death, two pathologists who examined him agreed. 

“Both pathologists agree it was a very unusual cause of death”, the judge added. 

Hicks was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for manslaughter and possession of a knife. 

Fleming was sentenced to 30 months in prison for violent disorder. 

The pair were sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, March 30.