Murder of Sophie Lancaster
Encyclopedia
The Murder of Sophie Lancaster was a murder case in the United Kingdom in 2007. The victim, along with her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, was attacked by a number of males in their mid-teens while walking through Stubbylee Park in Bacup
, Rossendale
in Lancashire
. As a result of her severe head injuries she went into a coma
, never regained consciousness, and died thirteen days later. The police said the attack may have been provoked by the couple's wearing gothic fashion
and being members of the goth subculture
.
Five teenage boys were later arrested and charged with murder. Two of them were convicted of murder and sentenced to life-imprisonment. The other three were convicted and jailed for grievous bodily harm. A memorial fund was established in Sophie's name, and numerous events have paid tribute to her, both locally, nationally and abroad. Plays, films, art and books have dealt with the issues surrounding the murder.
, Haslingden High School
and a gap year
student planning to attend Accrington and Rossendale College
to do an English degree. She had been dating Maltby, a 21-year-old art student at Manchester, for three years and they both had a long-standing attachment to the goth subculture. The couple's family described them as "Goths", and said: "They're both intelligent, sensitive kids. They're not the sort of people to get in trouble, but they have had problems in the past because they stand out."
Lancaster's parents said of her after her death:
Lancaster's mother said:
Rod Liddle
in The Sunday Times noted after the murder that the victims of the attack had paid the price for the indulgence of the "feral" criminals who perpetrated it "by their parents, by the courts, by the council, by a government which wants to send fewer such people to prison."
. The couple were walking home and came across a group of teenagers at the entrance to the park. The group followed them, but there was no trouble until some of them suddenly assaulted Robert Maltby without provocation. When he was knocked unconscious the gang attacked Sophie Lancaster, who was trying to protect him by cradling him in her arms. A 15-year-old witness told police: "They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head." One distraught witness used a mobile phone to call for emergency services saying: "We need... we need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he’s a mosher." Witnesses revealed that afterwards, "The killers celebrated their attack on the goths — or "moshers" - by telling friends afterwards that they had "done summat [something] good," and claiming: "There's two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park — you wanna see them — they're a right mess." The injured couple were assisted by some of the teenagers who called emergency services, and then stayed with the couple and tried to tend their wounds. At the trial they were commended by the judge.
Police said soon afterwards that it was "a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male." Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack, initially at Rochdale Infirmary. Maltby's injuries left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain, but he gradually recovered over the next two weeks. Lancaster, in a deep coma, was moved to Fairfield Hospital in Bury
, then to the Neurology
unit at Hope Hospital
in Salford
. It became clear to hospital staff that she would not recover from her injuries, and on 24 August 2007 her family agreed to switch off life support
and she died.
, while two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old were released on bail
. They were originally being charged with causing grievous bodily harm
with intent, but following Lancaster's death the Crown Prosecution Service
upgraded the charges.
By 5 October 2007, after questioning over 100 people, the police concluded that they were not expecting to make any more arrests in the case, and although 15-20 people were in the park at some point during the night of the attack, police believe many were not directly involved, as the area was a regular night time hang-out spot for teenagers.
Local residents identified the park as a spot often used by, "drunken, violent yobs
" guilty of vandalism
and under-age drinking
. They had asked for measures to be taken about the area before the tragedy occurred. Following the murder, residents called for improved security in the area, but Rossendale Borough Council
said park rangers would be too expensive.
Youth Court
, three were let out on bail, two boys aged 15 and 17 from Shawforth
, and a 17-year-old boy from Bacup
. On 18 October at Burnley Youth Court all five were committed for trial at Preston Crown Court
. A preliminary hearing was held on 31 October 2007, where the five accused faced a charge of murder for the death of Lancaster and a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent for the assault on Maltby. A further plea and case management hearing was ordered by Judge Anthony Russell QC for 14 December. The judge also indicated a provisional trial date, on both allegations, of 10 March 2008. At the hearing on 14 December 2007 the five accused pleaded not guilty on both charges.
At the beginning of the trial on 10 March 2008 all the accused admitted being guilty on the charge of grevious bodily harm with intent, Ryan Herbert pleaded guilty to murder, Brendan Harris pleaded not guilty to murder, while the murder charges against the other three were withdrawn. As the trial opened the prosecution told the hearing: "Sophie and Robert were singled out not for anything they had said or done, but because they looked and dressed differently." The jury heard extensive descriptions of severity of the attack from a number of witnesses and through a recorded phone conversation taken at the time.
At the conclusion of the trial on 27 March 2008, Brendan Harris was found guilty of murder, and the judge ordered the names of both Harris and Herbert, which had been concealed during the trial, to be made public. Detective Supt. Mick Gradwell of Lancashire Police said it was one of the most violent murders he had come across in his lengthy career: "I do not think Herbert and Harris have recognised how violent the attack was. They have just done it without thinking, but they seemed to have enjoyed it, and carried on remorselessly kicking at two very defenceless people who were unable to protect themselves because of the level of violence inflicted upon them... I am very critical of some of the parents involved. I really don't think they have taken completely seriously how repulsive this incident was..." He said that when Harris was initially interviewed about the assaults he was "laughing and joking" with his mother.
Sentencing in the case was set for 28 April 2008. Both Harris and Herbert were sentenced to life imprisonment
with the trial judge recommending that Harris should serve at least eighteen years and Herbert at least sixteen years and three months. In his closing remarks the judge described the attack as "feral thuggery" which raised serious questions about the "sort of society which exists in this country". He added: "This was a terrible case which has shocked and outraged all who have heard about it. At least wild animals, when they hunt in packs, have a legitimate reason for so doing, to obtain food. You have none and your behaviour on that night degrades humanity itself."
The three other defendants were also sentenced for their role in the attack. Brothers Joseph and Danny Hulme, and Daniel Mallett, who had all earlier pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent on Maltby, were jailed. Mallett was sentenced to four years and four months, and the Hulme brothers for five years and ten months each.
On 13 June 2008, it was reported that all the defendants were appealing against the sentences set for their convictions. The appeal was heard on 7 October 2008 with an announcement that the result would be released at a later date. On the 29 October the results of the appeal were announced. Ryan Herbert had his minimum term reduced from sixteen years and three months to fifteen years and six months, a reduction of nine months after the appeal judges ruled not enough allowance had been made for his guilty plea in the initial trial. Brendan Harris and the three other defendants failed to obtain any reduction in their sentences.
and a Bebo
group in her honour.
The attack was widely condemned in Lancashire and Rossendale by Council leaders and the local community. At the alternative electronic music festival Infest
in Bradford
on 26 August 2007, just after Lancaster's death, Ronan Harris
of VNV Nation
dedicated the song "Illusion" to her and contacted the family to offer his condolences. There has also been discussion of a plaque in her memory in the park. A song was dedicated to Lancaster in concerts at Bacup’s Royal Court Theatre on 6/7 September 2007, and a collection taken. A twelve hour long concert in her honour was held on 6 October 2007, at the grounds of Bacup Borough F.C.
featuring 10 bands. The club played a game during the concert with all the takings going to the memorial fund. This included a song written in Lancaster's honour. Lancaster's family and friends have set up a website in her memory and have decided to use the contributions from wellwishers and these events to set up a special fund to be known as "S.O.P.H.I.E" standing for "Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere" aiming to "provide an appropriate memorial; a lasting legacy to raise awareness of the injustice perpetrated against Sophie Lancaster and to work towards a more tolerant, less violent society."
Lancaster's mother said: "it will also help fund group sessions with young people to teach them about alternative cultures and to respect everyone." A special black ribbon was being sold to support the fund available at the many events being held across Rossendale
and in local shops. Lancaster's memory was further honoured at the Eccentrik Festival, in North Carolina
, "and three more concerts are planned in California, one in Iowa and one in Brisbane, Australia." A number of gothic gigs and club nights across the UK and Ireland dedicated a night to Lancaster in October and November 2007, including the Whitby Gothic Weekend
. A collection of over £3000 was raised from these events to place a memorial bench to her in Whitby
. The bench was put in place on Whitby's West Cliff in January 2008. The "Sophie Award" has been established as an ongoing prize for innovative and experimental filmmaking at Bacup Film Festival. Lancaster's funeral was public and organised for 12 November 2007, and was attended by hundreds of people and BBC
film crews. Lancaster's friends held a memorial concert to "commemorate Sophie’s uniqueness" featuring Lancaster's favourite local bands held on 25 November 2007, the night before what would have been Lancaster's 21st birthday at St Mary’s Chambers, Rawtenstall
, the concert was covered by Granada Television
. A repeat event is planned for 26 November 2008 headlined by The Damned and AOR featuring Dave Sharp
founder member of The Alarm
.
On 13 January 2009, it was announced that the Bloodstock Open Air
festival were to rename their second stage to The Sophie Lancaster Stage in tribute and to promote the S.O.P.H.I.E. Campaign. The second stage again carried the name of The Sophie Lancaster Stage in 2010, 2011 and will once more in 2012.
On 24/25 June 2008, Carabas Theatre Company performed a new dark comedy that dealt with perceptions of the Gothic subculture, donating all profits to the S.O.P.H.I.E fund. The work was performed at the Gregson Centre, Moor Lane, Lancaster
. In a discussion after the performance, the cast and audience discussed Goth culture, the issues raised in the performance, and the possibility of educating young people about different subcultures to foster unity and acceptance from a young age. The work, "Suckers", was written and directed by MJ Wesolowski, and the production raised £200 for the S.O.P.H.I.E fund.
On 3 June 2010, Robert Maltby began an exhibition of his own art at Affleck's Palace in Manchester containing 15 paintings inspired by Lancaster. The exhibition was called Crimson Iris: The Art of Sophie The money raised went to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
related violence in the UK, over the summer of 2007, including the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones
. Conservative leader David Cameron
mentioned the attack as an example in a "speech criticising youth crime and Britain’s 'real and growing' problem with violence." Since then coverage has mainly been restricted to the local press and the internet, except the funeral which received wider coverage. In February, 2008 The Observer
compared the limited amount of coverage the Sophie Lancaster case received to the large amount of coverage worldwide which the media paid to the case of discrimination faced by a Yorkshire
goth couple who were thrown off a bus.
The trial in March 2008 saw extensive coverage in national media. On 13 March 2008 Bizarre magazine
launched a "Proud to be Different" campaign in honour of Sophie.
There are a large number of Facebook groups dedicated to Sophie Lancaster. With the exception of the one for "Sophie Lancaster Foundation" none of these are official and nearly all focus on the tragedy of her death.
On 26 November 2009, which would have been Lancaster's 23rd birthday, a 4 minute animation named Dark Angel, based on the murder was released onto the internet and shown on MTV. The film was also projected onto a screen in the Cathedral Gardens
in Manchester.
In July 2010 the book Weirdo Mosher Freak by journalist Catherine Smyth was published about the murder.
On 11 March 2011 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the play Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, consisting of poems by Simon Armitage
telling the story of Sophie's life, combined with the personal recollections of her mother. The role of Sophie was played by Rachel Austin.
, but in other subcultures, and overseas as well. Martin Coles who organised the Whitby bench fund said "Since starting the on-line campaign to raise awareness of the collection I've been contacted by people from all over the world that have been shocked by this, and not just those from the gothic community, I've been talking to goths, bikers, metallers, people from the electro and indie scenes, just about any 'alternative' genre." Many discussions have focused on whether the attack should be described as an example of a Hate crime
and has been compared to the murder of the punk Brian Deneke
in the United States. It has been widely perceived by goths as a more extreme example of the social intolerance
, violence and abuse people can suffer as a result of their attachment to the goth subculture
. The Observer said on 17 February 2008 that the case was one of a "rash of violent attacks targeting punk, goth and metal kids... Sophie Lancaster's case has become a rallying cry for those in the goth scene worried about this upsurge of violence." This discussion of the case has led to an online petition to the Prime Minister
"to Widen the definition of 'Hate Crime', to include crimes committed against a person or persons, on the basis of their appearance or subcultural
interests" on the 10 Downing Street website. Ade Varney creator of the petition said that goths "get verbal assaults every day, and not just from young people. But now younger teenagers have the mentality of hardened criminals and I definitely sense this violent aspect getting worse... Sophie's death has made people think and I have heard of teenagers, especially girls, modifying the way they dress when they walk through certain areas." This led to political developments: "Rossendale MP Janet Anderson
and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope
are set to request a debate in the Commons to call for the widening of the law to include such an attack under the definition of a hate crime as soon as possible. They will also be putting forward an early day motion calling on the government to give the matter "urgent consideration". In May 2009 the Justice Minister Jack Straw
said while he could not change the law, he could amend the sentencing guidelines to require judges to treat an attack on a member of a subculture as an aggravating factor similar to a racially motivated or homophobic assault when sentencing perpetrators.
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
, Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. As a result of her severe head injuries she went into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, never regained consciousness, and died thirteen days later. The police said the attack may have been provoked by the couple's wearing gothic fashion
Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
and being members of the goth subculture
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
.
Five teenage boys were later arrested and charged with murder. Two of them were convicted of murder and sentenced to life-imprisonment. The other three were convicted and jailed for grievous bodily harm. A memorial fund was established in Sophie's name, and numerous events have paid tribute to her, both locally, nationally and abroad. Plays, films, art and books have dealt with the issues surrounding the murder.
Background
Sophie Lancaster (born 26 November 1986) was a former pupil at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar schoolBacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is a selective co-educational foundation school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The school is named after the two main towns either side of Waterfoot, Bacup and Rawtenstall.-History:...
, Haslingden High School
Haslingden High School
Haslingden High School is a secondary school located in Haslingden, Rossendale, England. The school has been awarded dual specialist status as an Arts College, Mathematics and Computing College...
and a gap year
Gap year
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...
student planning to attend Accrington and Rossendale College
Accrington and Rossendale College
Accrington and Rossendale College is a further education college based in Accrington, Lancashire, England.- The College :Accrington & Rossendale College is an award winning further education College which specialises in vocational education....
to do an English degree. She had been dating Maltby, a 21-year-old art student at Manchester, for three years and they both had a long-standing attachment to the goth subculture. The couple's family described them as "Goths", and said: "They're both intelligent, sensitive kids. They're not the sort of people to get in trouble, but they have had problems in the past because they stand out."
Lancaster's parents said of her after her death:
"We were proud to know our daughter. She was funny, kind, loving and brave. She was a beautiful girl with a social conscience and values which made her a joy to know. Not being able to see her blossom into her full potential or even to see her smile again is a tragedy beyond words."
Lancaster's mother said:
"The thing that makes me most angry is that it is seen as an isolated incident, maybe the seriousness of what happened to Sophie is isolated, but attacks are far from isolated. Just because you follow a different culture you are targeted; you are seen as easy pickings."
Rod Liddle
Rod Liddle
Roderick E. L. Liddle is an English print, radio, and television journalist.He is an associate editor of The Spectator, and former editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he is the author of Too Beautiful for You , Love Will Destroy Everything , and co-author of The Best of Liddle Britain...
in The Sunday Times noted after the murder that the victims of the attack had paid the price for the indulgence of the "feral" criminals who perpetrated it "by their parents, by the courts, by the council, by a government which wants to send fewer such people to prison."
The attack
While returning home, Lancaster and Maltby were subjected to a "vicious mob attack" from "a large group of people" between 01:10 hours and 01:20 hours on Saturday, 11 August 2007, at the skate park area of Stubbylee Park, BacupBacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
. The couple were walking home and came across a group of teenagers at the entrance to the park. The group followed them, but there was no trouble until some of them suddenly assaulted Robert Maltby without provocation. When he was knocked unconscious the gang attacked Sophie Lancaster, who was trying to protect him by cradling him in her arms. A 15-year-old witness told police: "They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head." One distraught witness used a mobile phone to call for emergency services saying: "We need... we need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he’s a mosher." Witnesses revealed that afterwards, "The killers celebrated their attack on the goths — or "moshers" - by telling friends afterwards that they had "done summat [something] good," and claiming: "There's two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park — you wanna see them — they're a right mess." The injured couple were assisted by some of the teenagers who called emergency services, and then stayed with the couple and tried to tend their wounds. At the trial they were commended by the judge.
Police said soon afterwards that it was "a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male." Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack, initially at Rochdale Infirmary. Maltby's injuries left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain, but he gradually recovered over the next two weeks. Lancaster, in a deep coma, was moved to Fairfield Hospital in Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, then to the Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
unit at Hope Hospital
Hope Hospital
Salford Royal is a large hospital in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, managed by the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust...
in Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. It became clear to hospital staff that she would not recover from her injuries, and on 24 August 2007 her family agreed to switch off life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
and she died.
Arrests and investigation
Lancashire Police arrested five individuals in connection with the attack soon afterwards, but conducted extensive further investigations as it appeared that up to fifteen people were in the area, and may have witnessed or participated in the assault. The police identified the gothic dress of the couple as a possible motivation for the attackers. A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were remanded in custodyDetention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
, while two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old were released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. They were originally being charged with causing grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm is a term of art used in English criminal law which has become synonymous with the offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861....
with intent, but following Lancaster's death the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
upgraded the charges.
By 5 October 2007, after questioning over 100 people, the police concluded that they were not expecting to make any more arrests in the case, and although 15-20 people were in the park at some point during the night of the attack, police believe many were not directly involved, as the area was a regular night time hang-out spot for teenagers.
Local residents identified the park as a spot often used by, "drunken, violent yobs
Yobbo
Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth or thuggish working-class person. The word derives from a back slang reading of the word "boy" .-Britain:Dr. C. T...
" guilty of vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and under-age drinking
Legal drinking age
Laws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
. They had asked for measures to be taken about the area before the tragedy occurred. Following the murder, residents called for improved security in the area, but Rossendale Borough Council
Rossendale Borough Council
Rossendale Borough Council is the local authority for the Rossendale district of Lancashire, in north west England.It was formed on 1 April 1974 as a result of the 1972 Local Government Act and consists of:...
said park rangers would be too expensive.
Trial and aftermath
On 6 September 2007 the five suspects were charged with murder at BurnleyBurnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
Youth Court
Youth justice in England and Wales
Youth justice system in England and Wales comprises the organs and processes that are used to prosecute, convict and punish persons under 18 years of age who commit criminal offences...
, three were let out on bail, two boys aged 15 and 17 from Shawforth
Shawforth
Shawforth is a suburban village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It lies amongst the South Pennines along the course of the River Spodden and A671 road...
, and a 17-year-old boy from Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
. On 18 October at Burnley Youth Court all five were committed for trial at Preston Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. A preliminary hearing was held on 31 October 2007, where the five accused faced a charge of murder for the death of Lancaster and a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent for the assault on Maltby. A further plea and case management hearing was ordered by Judge Anthony Russell QC for 14 December. The judge also indicated a provisional trial date, on both allegations, of 10 March 2008. At the hearing on 14 December 2007 the five accused pleaded not guilty on both charges.
At the beginning of the trial on 10 March 2008 all the accused admitted being guilty on the charge of grevious bodily harm with intent, Ryan Herbert pleaded guilty to murder, Brendan Harris pleaded not guilty to murder, while the murder charges against the other three were withdrawn. As the trial opened the prosecution told the hearing: "Sophie and Robert were singled out not for anything they had said or done, but because they looked and dressed differently." The jury heard extensive descriptions of severity of the attack from a number of witnesses and through a recorded phone conversation taken at the time.
At the conclusion of the trial on 27 March 2008, Brendan Harris was found guilty of murder, and the judge ordered the names of both Harris and Herbert, which had been concealed during the trial, to be made public. Detective Supt. Mick Gradwell of Lancashire Police said it was one of the most violent murders he had come across in his lengthy career: "I do not think Herbert and Harris have recognised how violent the attack was. They have just done it without thinking, but they seemed to have enjoyed it, and carried on remorselessly kicking at two very defenceless people who were unable to protect themselves because of the level of violence inflicted upon them... I am very critical of some of the parents involved. I really don't think they have taken completely seriously how repulsive this incident was..." He said that when Harris was initially interviewed about the assaults he was "laughing and joking" with his mother.
Sentencing in the case was set for 28 April 2008. Both Harris and Herbert were sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
with the trial judge recommending that Harris should serve at least eighteen years and Herbert at least sixteen years and three months. In his closing remarks the judge described the attack as "feral thuggery" which raised serious questions about the "sort of society which exists in this country". He added: "This was a terrible case which has shocked and outraged all who have heard about it. At least wild animals, when they hunt in packs, have a legitimate reason for so doing, to obtain food. You have none and your behaviour on that night degrades humanity itself."
The three other defendants were also sentenced for their role in the attack. Brothers Joseph and Danny Hulme, and Daniel Mallett, who had all earlier pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent on Maltby, were jailed. Mallett was sentenced to four years and four months, and the Hulme brothers for five years and ten months each.
On 13 June 2008, it was reported that all the defendants were appealing against the sentences set for their convictions. The appeal was heard on 7 October 2008 with an announcement that the result would be released at a later date. On the 29 October the results of the appeal were announced. Ryan Herbert had his minimum term reduced from sixteen years and three months to fifteen years and six months, a reduction of nine months after the appeal judges ruled not enough allowance had been made for his guilty plea in the initial trial. Brendan Harris and the three other defendants failed to obtain any reduction in their sentences.
Tributes to Sophie Lancaster
The park where the attack occurred was covered with floral tributes to the couple soon after the attack and online message boards have seen many tributes to Lancaster from well-wishers, including some from Europe and America, including a special FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and a Bebo
Bebo
Bebo is a social networking website launched in July 2005. It is currently owned and operated by Criterion Capital Partners after taking over from AOL in June 2010....
group in her honour.
The attack was widely condemned in Lancashire and Rossendale by Council leaders and the local community. At the alternative electronic music festival Infest
Infest (festival)
Infest is an annual three day music festival held at the University of Bradford Union in the United Kingdom, featuring alternative electronic music acts from genres including industrial, EBM, futurepop, synthpop and power noise...
in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
on 26 August 2007, just after Lancaster's death, Ronan Harris
Ronan Harris
Ronan Harris is a member of the act VNV Nation, along with Mark Jackson. For live shows the band are joined by 2 keyboard players. Ronan is credited with the songwriting, production, lyrical, and vocal aspects of the band's music...
of VNV Nation
VNV Nation
VNV Nation are a British/Irish electronic music band originally from Dublin, Ireland and Essex, United Kingdom and now based in Hamburg, Germany. They combine elements of electro-industrial, trance, synthpop and electronic body music . The members are Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson...
dedicated the song "Illusion" to her and contacted the family to offer his condolences. There has also been discussion of a plaque in her memory in the park. A song was dedicated to Lancaster in concerts at Bacup’s Royal Court Theatre on 6/7 September 2007, and a collection taken. A twelve hour long concert in her honour was held on 6 October 2007, at the grounds of Bacup Borough F.C.
Bacup Borough F.C.
Bacup Borough F.C. are an English football club based at West View in Bacup, Lancashire. They currently play in the North West Counties League Premier Division and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association. They play at the The Brian Boys West View Stadium...
featuring 10 bands. The club played a game during the concert with all the takings going to the memorial fund. This included a song written in Lancaster's honour. Lancaster's family and friends have set up a website in her memory and have decided to use the contributions from wellwishers and these events to set up a special fund to be known as "S.O.P.H.I.E" standing for "Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere" aiming to "provide an appropriate memorial; a lasting legacy to raise awareness of the injustice perpetrated against Sophie Lancaster and to work towards a more tolerant, less violent society."
Lancaster's mother said: "it will also help fund group sessions with young people to teach them about alternative cultures and to respect everyone." A special black ribbon was being sold to support the fund available at the many events being held across Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
and in local shops. Lancaster's memory was further honoured at the Eccentrik Festival, in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, "and three more concerts are planned in California, one in Iowa and one in Brisbane, Australia." A number of gothic gigs and club nights across the UK and Ireland dedicated a night to Lancaster in October and November 2007, including the Whitby Gothic Weekend
Whitby Gothic Weekend
Whitby Gothic Weekend, often abbreviated to WGW or simply referred to by attendees as Whitby, is a twice-yearly festival for goths, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, organised by Jo Hampshire who runs Top Mum Promotions.-Event history:...
. A collection of over £3000 was raised from these events to place a memorial bench to her in Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
. The bench was put in place on Whitby's West Cliff in January 2008. The "Sophie Award" has been established as an ongoing prize for innovative and experimental filmmaking at Bacup Film Festival. Lancaster's funeral was public and organised for 12 November 2007, and was attended by hundreds of people and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film crews. Lancaster's friends held a memorial concert to "commemorate Sophie’s uniqueness" featuring Lancaster's favourite local bands held on 25 November 2007, the night before what would have been Lancaster's 21st birthday at St Mary’s Chambers, Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
, the concert was covered by Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. A repeat event is planned for 26 November 2008 headlined by The Damned and AOR featuring Dave Sharp
Dave Sharp
Dave Sharp is an English guitarist who co-founded, along with Mike Peters, the Welsh punk rock band The Alarm.-Early career:...
founder member of The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
.
On 13 January 2009, it was announced that the Bloodstock Open Air
Bloodstock Open Air
Bloodstock Open Air is a heavy metal festival held annually at Catton Hall in Walton-upon-Trent, England, since 2005. Previous line-ups have included bands such as Opeth , Children of Bodom , Nightwish , Cradle of Filth , Testament , Arch Enemy , Europe and Twisted Sister .Originally on one stage...
festival were to rename their second stage to The Sophie Lancaster Stage in tribute and to promote the S.O.P.H.I.E. Campaign. The second stage again carried the name of The Sophie Lancaster Stage in 2010, 2011 and will once more in 2012.
On 24/25 June 2008, Carabas Theatre Company performed a new dark comedy that dealt with perceptions of the Gothic subculture, donating all profits to the S.O.P.H.I.E fund. The work was performed at the Gregson Centre, Moor Lane, Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
. In a discussion after the performance, the cast and audience discussed Goth culture, the issues raised in the performance, and the possibility of educating young people about different subcultures to foster unity and acceptance from a young age. The work, "Suckers", was written and directed by MJ Wesolowski, and the production raised £200 for the S.O.P.H.I.E fund.
On 3 June 2010, Robert Maltby began an exhibition of his own art at Affleck's Palace in Manchester containing 15 paintings inspired by Lancaster. The exhibition was called Crimson Iris: The Art of Sophie The money raised went to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
Media reaction
The original assault was mainly covered by the local media, but Lancaster's death two weeks later was mentioned on national television and widely in national newspapers. The attack was discussed in the media in connection with a wave of youth gangGang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
related violence in the UK, over the summer of 2007, including the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones
Murder of Rhys Jones
The murder of Rhys Milford Jones occurred in Liverpool, England, when he was shot in the back. An 18-year-old youth, Sean Mercer, went on trial on 2 October 2008 and was convicted of murder on 16 December 2008....
. Conservative leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
mentioned the attack as an example in a "speech criticising youth crime and Britain’s 'real and growing' problem with violence." Since then coverage has mainly been restricted to the local press and the internet, except the funeral which received wider coverage. In February, 2008 The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
compared the limited amount of coverage the Sophie Lancaster case received to the large amount of coverage worldwide which the media paid to the case of discrimination faced by a Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
goth couple who were thrown off a bus.
The trial in March 2008 saw extensive coverage in national media. On 13 March 2008 Bizarre magazine
Bizarre (magazine)
Bizarre is a British alternative magazine published from 1997 to the present. It is currently published by Dennis Publishing; it is a sister publication to the Fortean Times.-Content:...
launched a "Proud to be Different" campaign in honour of Sophie.
There are a large number of Facebook groups dedicated to Sophie Lancaster. With the exception of the one for "Sophie Lancaster Foundation" none of these are official and nearly all focus on the tragedy of her death.
On 26 November 2009, which would have been Lancaster's 23rd birthday, a 4 minute animation named Dark Angel, based on the murder was released onto the internet and shown on MTV. The film was also projected onto a screen in the Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Gardens is an open space within Manchester City Centre, in North West England. It is bounded by Victoria railway station to the north, Chetham's School of Music to the west, the perimeter of Manchester Cathedral and The Triangle on Fennel Street to the south and Urbis to the...
in Manchester.
In July 2010 the book Weirdo Mosher Freak by journalist Catherine Smyth was published about the murder.
On 11 March 2011 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the play Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, consisting of poems by Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage CBE is a British poet, playwright, and novelist.-Life and career:Simon Armitage was born in Marsden, West Yorkshire. Armitage first studied at Colne Valley High School, Linthwaite, Huddersfield and went on to study geography at Portsmouth Polytechnic...
telling the story of Sophie's life, combined with the personal recollections of her mother. The role of Sophie was played by Rachel Austin.
Reaction in the goth and alternative community
The crime has received much discussion and expressions of sympathy, not just amongst the UK goth subcultureGoth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
, but in other subcultures, and overseas as well. Martin Coles who organised the Whitby bench fund said "Since starting the on-line campaign to raise awareness of the collection I've been contacted by people from all over the world that have been shocked by this, and not just those from the gothic community, I've been talking to goths, bikers, metallers, people from the electro and indie scenes, just about any 'alternative' genre." Many discussions have focused on whether the attack should be described as an example of a Hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
and has been compared to the murder of the punk Brian Deneke
Brian Deneke
On December 12, 1997, 19-year-old punk musician Brian Theodore Deneke was killed in a deliberate hit and run attack in Amarillo, Texas. He was intentionally run over by 17-year-old jock Dustin Camp....
in the United States. It has been widely perceived by goths as a more extreme example of the social intolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, violence and abuse people can suffer as a result of their attachment to the goth subculture
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
. The Observer said on 17 February 2008 that the case was one of a "rash of violent attacks targeting punk, goth and metal kids... Sophie Lancaster's case has become a rallying cry for those in the goth scene worried about this upsurge of violence." This discussion of the case has led to an online petition to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
"to Widen the definition of 'Hate Crime', to include crimes committed against a person or persons, on the basis of their appearance or subcultural
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
interests" on the 10 Downing Street website. Ade Varney creator of the petition said that goths "get verbal assaults every day, and not just from young people. But now younger teenagers have the mentality of hardened criminals and I definitely sense this violent aspect getting worse... Sophie's death has made people think and I have heard of teenagers, especially girls, modifying the way they dress when they walk through certain areas." This led to political developments: "Rossendale MP Janet Anderson
Janet Anderson
Janet Anderson is an English Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen from 1992 until 2010.-Early life:...
and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope
Greg Pope
Gregory James "Greg" Pope is a former British Labour Party politician, who served as Member of Parliament for Hyndburn from 1992 until retiring at the 2010 general election. He was a government whip until the reshuffle following the 2001 general election.-Early life:He went to St Marys College R.C...
are set to request a debate in the Commons to call for the widening of the law to include such an attack under the definition of a hate crime as soon as possible. They will also be putting forward an early day motion calling on the government to give the matter "urgent consideration". In May 2009 the Justice Minister Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
said while he could not change the law, he could amend the sentencing guidelines to require judges to treat an attack on a member of a subculture as an aggravating factor similar to a racially motivated or homophobic assault when sentencing perpetrators.
External links
- Myspace "In Memory of Sophie" - Official memorial site and campaign site created by her family and friends
- Youtube video - Footage of Sophie Lancaster's Funeral
- Youtube video - Footage of Sophie Lancaster's Birthday Concert and Interview with her mother
- Youtube video - Footage of Tributes to Sophie Lancaster with Interview with her mother and Robert Maltby
- Rossendale Free Press - Official online book of condolence for Sophie Lancaster
- Lancashire Telegraph - "Couple left badly beaten in skate park" Sunday 12th August 2007
- Lancashire Telegraph - Teenagers in court over skatepark attack Monday 13th August 2007
- "Woman 'attacked for being a Goth' dies" 24 August 2007
- Rossendale Online - Bacup park attack woman dies following attack Friday 24th August 2007
- The Guardian 'Tragedy beyond words' for family as woman, 20, dies after park attack, Saturday August 25, 2007
- Rossendale Free Press - 'Parents’ tribute to loving daughter’ 30th August 2007
- BBC News - Tribute to victim of park attack
- Lancashire police: Family Statement
- Youtube video - Sophie Lancaster tribute flowers
- Youtube video - VNV Nation - Illusion Infest 2007. Ronan dedicated this song to Sophie Lancaster
- "Tributes to student killed in park attack", Manchester Evening News 28/ 8/2007
- Lancashire Telegraph - World a sadder place without Sophie Wednesday 29th August 2007
- "Concert staged for attack victim" BBC News 25 November 2007
- "Five youths deny student's murder" BBC News 14 December 2007
- "United in the name of tolerance", The Observer 3 August 2008
- "Sophie Lancaster Foundation", Competition Entry