On Crimes That Shook Britain, broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan is joined by a team of experts and witnesses to examine cases that gripped the nation to explore how they shaped public conversation. Series nine starts Monday, 16th September at 9pm on Crime + Investigation and features the murder of Sophie Lancaster.
When you read about violent crime, there's usually a motive. Of course, never one that's justifiable, but something like jealousy, sexual gratification or financial gain. However, the murder of Sophie Lancaster stands out for being particularly senseless – she was violently beaten to death for being different.
The murder
Sophie's friends and family described her as ‘intelligent’, ‘sensitive’ and ‘creative’ – someone who wasn't ‘the sort of [person] to get in trouble’. However, they also noted that she and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, ‘had problems in the past because they stand out’.
Sophie and Robert were goths and part of a music-based subculture celebrating heavy metal, alternative fashion and artistic pursuits like painting and photography.
Contrary to the often-moody depictions in the media, these poets, performers, deep thinkers and dreamers aren't the sort of people who seek out fights. Instead, Robert stated the couple preferred their own company, ‘We'd see friends at weekends, but day-to-day, it was just the two of us.’
However, on 11th August 2007, the two decided to go out. While walking home through Stubbylee Park at approximately 1:20am, they were cornered and attacked by a gang of young men. The group targeted Robert first, knocking him unconscious, before turning their attention to Sophie. As she tried to shield her boyfriend, they subjected her to a vicious, sustained beating that the judge later described as ‘feral’.
The park was a popular hangout spot, so plenty of witnesses came forward. One called the emergency services and told them, ‘We need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he's a mosher.’ Another added, ‘They were running over and… jumping up and down on her head.’ By the time the police arrived, ‘their faces were so swollen [they] could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male’.
The couple were immediately rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Robert was in a coma with internal bleeding, but he eventually recovered thanks to Sophie’s bravery. Sophie was also in a coma. The severity of her injuries meant she required life support.
On 24th August 2007, 13 days after the attack, the hospital staff told her family she would never regain consciousness. As such, they made the difficult decision to switch off her life support.
The arrests
Due to several witnesses coming forward and the subsequent questioning of more than 100 people, five teens were eventually arrested – Ryan Herbert, Brendan Harris, Joseph Hulme, Danny Hulme and Daniel Mallett. The teens had bragged about the attack to their friends, joking, ‘There's two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park – you wanna see them – they're a right mess.’
On 6th September 2007, all five were charged with the murder of Sophie Lancaster and grievous bodily harm with intent for the attack on Robert Maltby. Throughout the trial, the jury heard harrowing accounts of the level of violence inflicted upon the couple. The prosecution explained how they were victims of a hate crime, claiming ‘Sophie and Robert were singled out not for anything they had said or done, but because they looked and dressed differently.’
The trial concluded on 27th March 2008. The jury found Brendan Harris and Ryan Herbert guilty of murder, and they were sentenced to life imprisonment. The judge declared that Harris must serve at least 18 years and Herbert 16 years. The other three teens were found guilty of GBH. Mallett was sentenced to four years and four months, and the Hulme brothers to five years and 10 months each.
Unbelievably, given the seriousness of the crime, Herbert recently had his minimum term reduced to fourteen and a half years for ‘exemplary behaviour’. Sophie’s family criticised the decision. Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell of Lancashire Police also stated, ‘I do not think Herbert and Harris…recognised how violent the attack was…they seemed to have enjoyed it.’
Remembering Sophie
Almost two decades have passed but Sophie hasn't been forgotten. Tributes poured in after her death, and she's been memorialised through music, art and film. The popular metal band Lamb of God dedicated their song Redneck to Sophie and her mum, Sylvia, who died in 2022 after being awarded an OBE.
After Sophie's murder, Sylvia established the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which teaches the importance of tolerance and inclusivity. ‘S.O.P.H.I.E’ stands for ‘Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere’. The group believes education is crucial and often speaks to schoolchildren about respecting differences and celebrating individuality.
The organisation promises to continue Sylvia’s vital work in local communities and to ensure Sophie’s legacy lives on.
