ROBERT Maltby has told how he wished his girlfriend had saved her own life by running away and leaving him to die.

And he said that the moment he saw her lying in hospital he wanted to rip his heart out and give it to her in an attempt to bring her back to life.

He said he cannot remember anything about the night he and Sophie, the love of his life, were attacked.

Robert said he has been so seriously affected and Sophie's death that he was afraid to use public transport and is struggling to carry on with his life.

He added: "I just really wish that she had just legged it and got out of there and waited until they had left and come back, I just wish she had left me to die if I'm honest."

"The next thing I remembered was awaking from a coma. I was in Rochdale.

"I left hospital the day they turned Sophie's life support off.

"They told me they had little chance of saving her.

"I know Sophie would not have wanted me to be moping around.

"I felt guilty about what happened even though people say it's not my fault. I wish I could have given my head to Sophie.

Robert said he had been singled out and attacked four times before and added: "Really what they were trying to do was humiliate us, and beside the obvious things that I am annoyed at, that is what I am annoyed about the most.

"It seems to display just arrogance and it is just something I am not familiar with."

As for what should happen to the attackers, he said: "I think that whatever happens to them can never be as bad as what I want to happen to them.

"I want them to never stop suffering for what they have done.

"I want it to be a life-long thing and I do not even really think I can say what I really want to happen to them."

He described the harrowing moment he saw Sophie in hospital, saying: "I was fine right up until I saw her and that was when I literally broke down, and all I wanted to do was I wanted to give her something but all I had on me was a really cheap watch that my grandad had given me so I just had to take it off and give it to her.

"If I could have I would have ripped my heart out and given it to her and with any luck bring her back up, but I did not have it in my power."

Robert said the couple had planned to get married and have children and that it was "just not fair" that everything they had worked for had been taken away from them.

"She was my entire world," he said. "I'm not ashamed to say that.

"Everything I was doing outside being around Sophie was really just to make it so we could have a decent life together, and just when we have tried that hard, we have put in so much effort, and then some child comes along and decides to ruin it all for you, it is just not fair."

The pair, who had known each other for three years, were hardly ever apart, he said.

Mr Maltby said he had first met Sophie through a friend of a friend and they had clicked when they realised they shared a love of an obscure German band.

The pair also dressed similarly, he said, adding: "From speaking to her it just seemed like I was speaking to a smaller version of myself.

"She was very, very warm, just wanted to make friends with everyone really, and that might have had something to do with why we started going out and sadly might have had something to do with what happened the night we were attacked."

Art student Rob, 21, worked hard to hold down a full time job to provide for Sophie while she was on a gap year.

He detailed the moment he first met Sophie and how their romance blossomed.

In a police statement shown to the Lancashire Telegraph he said: "I met Sophie three years ago at Haslingden High School. I was 18 when I met her.

"Sophie had just turned 18. It was late November when we met. We were going to Manchester. It was a Christmas thing. I then met her again shortly after. I was doing a painting job for my friend Mick.

"He was a friend from Haslingden High School. Sophie was waiting outside with him. I spent the next day with Mick and Sophie.

"We went to Rawtenstall to the Old House Pub. That was where I first met Sophie properly.

"We had a good chat. I didn't see her again until her birthday (November). We had been speaking on the phone though.

"On January 24, 2007 we started to see each other on a regular basis. I got a job working at Ormerods, a kitchen manufacturer in Stacksteads.

"It was long hours. I would start at 8am and finish at 5.30pm.

"We would normally sit around at night and make tea between us. We would often just watch TV or go out for a walk.

"We lived in a flat above the youth café in Bacup."

He said he and Sophie spent a lot of the last two months of her life in each other's company.

Robert added: The only time we were apart was when I was at work or when I was doing some art work and Sophie got bored and would then go off and read a book."