 Ross Parker was born in Peterborough in 1984 to Davinia and Tony Parker . His mother worked as a waitress and his father ran a car bodywork repair business ; he was one of two children . Parker was an avid football player and , having completed a GNVQ in business studies at Jack Hunt School , hoped to join the police force when he was 18 . He was nicknamed " Half @-@ Pint " owing to his 5 feet 5 inch height and had twice broken his leg previously . Parker lived in the Westwood area of the city and worked part @-@ time as bar support at The Solstice , a local public house where he had met his girlfriend Nicola Toms . 
