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Teens Get Life for Killing 'Goth' Woman

Reuters
Posted: 2008-04-28 17:23:47
Filed Under: Crime News, World News
LONDON (April 28) - Two teenagers who kicked a woman to death in a park because she was dressed as a "Goth" were jailed for life on Monday, police said.

Sophie Lancaster
Lancashire Police / PA / AP

Sophie Lancaster, 20, was kicked to death by a group of teenagers because she was dressed as a "Goth," authorities said. The gang first attacked her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, 21. When she tried to intervene, the assailants turned on her.

Brendan Harris, 15, and Ryan Herbert, 16, kicked and punched Sophie Lancaster in what police described as a "despicable, cowardly and totally unprovoked" attack.

They set upon the 20-year-old gap year student when she tried to stop a group of youths from attacking her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, 21. The pair were left unconscious.

Lancaster's injuries were so bad that it was difficult at first to tell what sex she was, police said.

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She fell into a coma and died two weeks after the attack. Her boyfriend was also left in a coma, but has since been discharged from hospital.

A jury at Preston Crown Court heard that the couple were attacked in a park in Bacup, Lancashire, northwestern England, last August, because they were wearing "Goth" clothing.

Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell said: "Sophie and Rob were savagely and mercilessly attacked.

"The attack was despicable, cowardly and totally unprovoked and it would appear that both were targeted, not for anything that they said or did, but because they looked and dressed differently to the defendants and their friends."

Harris must serve 18 years for murder and Herbert 16 years before being eligble for parole.

Judge Anthony Russell lifted an order preventing the identification of three other youths who admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Daniel Mallett, 17, must serve at least four years, while brothers Joseph Hulme, 17, and Danny Hulme, 16, were each sentenced to five years.

Reporting by Peter Griffiths

Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-04-28 16:39:34
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 919
919 comments

tokirulesall789 11:13:45 AM Jun 11 2008

This is terrible!
She's a beautiful girl!
And these teens beat her senseless, and so badly, they couldn't tell her gender!
They should pay more time!

cshae89546 01:29:48 PM Apr 30 2008

This wouldn't have happened if the Brits didn't have such strict anti-gun laws.

chareese99 01:13:24 PM Apr 30 2008

I personally think that these kids should serve more time. A minimum out of all these charges is 4years which means that kid will be out at 21, which is a year older then the females life that he took. Justice is not served.

p8re0t 10:54:53 AM Apr 30 2008

fatboyblogs 10:47:13 PM Apr 29 2008

Report This! phunktastic1202 obviously you dont have Children or you would know that kids generally veer away from what thier parents teach them. Its called being developing and each child does it differently. Parents can control their kids to a degree but when kids leave their parents to go out with friends a parent can only trust that their kid will make the right choices. Scarey but true.

Well said, fatboy.

p8re0t 10:52:32 AM Apr 30 2008

My 19yr old son dresses goth. Stupid way to self express, but certainly doesn't warrant a death sentence. Although, I believe the killers of this woman do...

fra15 12:24:44 AM Apr 30 2008

Hell I am so old I do not even know what goth is and do I care NO NO

fatboyblogs 10:47:13 PM Apr 29 2008

phunktastic1202 obviously you dont have Children or you would know that kids generally veer away from what thier parents teach them. Its called being developing and each child does it differently. Parents can control their kids to a degree but when kids leave their parents to go out with friends a parent can only trust that their kid will make the right choices. Scarey but true.

adamkwyhmed 10:15:19 PM Apr 29 2008

I have friends who dress Gothic style. A person shouldn't be judged based on how they look or dress, rather it should be by the content of their character. What the kids did was wrong to this woman and her boyfriend. The same could be said of anyone who hurts or kills another person or persons because they are different, (whether in dress, looks, etc...). Bigotry is bigotry no matter what culture, class, or belief system. It is recognized that every person has a natural preference as to how to live. Natural Preferences, (what is considered acceptable within a person's or groups code of living), are not bigotry. However bigotry can both silence, hurt, and kill.

calebsmommy85 08:38:48 PM Apr 29 2008

You all are messed up. Apparently the courts thought the teens were mature enough to be tried as adults, so they obviously made the decision themselves to beat the crap out of those two people. Its not the parents fault. The idiot kids made a bad decision and now they are going to pay for it. How come everyone always blames the parents for their childrens mistakes?

wingsofdiscord 05:35:45 PM Apr 29 2008

bah

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