Brendan Harris cleared for release over Sophie Lancaster murder despite appeal
Brendan Harris, one of two men convicted over the 2007 killing of Sophie Lancaster, has been cleared for release on licence after an appeal to block his release was rejected. The case drew national attention to violence against people associated with alternative subcultures, and Lancaster’s mother campaigned for such attacks to be treated as hate crimes.
Lancaster was 20 when she and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, were beaten in a park in Bacup; she died in hospital two weeks later. Harris, now 35, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years and accepts taking part in the group attack, but says he did not physically strike Lancaster. The Parole Board said he accepted responsibility for the attack and its consequences, despite the dispute over that detail; he had also broken a nurse’s nose while in custody.
- Brendan Harris has been cleared for release on licence.
- He accepts joining the attack but denies striking Sophie Lancaster.
- The 2007 killing prompted a campaign against prejudice.
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Sophie Lancaster was 20 when she and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were beaten in an attack in a Bacup park in 2007. She died from her injuries two weeks later. The case drew national attention to violence against people associated with alternative subcultures.
Brendan Harris was one of two men convicted over the killing and received a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years. Now 35, he has been cleared for release on licence after an appeal to block his release was rejected. Harris accepts taking part in the group attack but says he did not physically strike Lancaster.
Lancaster's mother campaigned for attacks on people in alternative subcultures to be treated as hate crimes. Violence against people based on their lifestyle and identity remains a concern in discussions about how the law should protect vulnerable groups.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘Feral thug’ who murdered Sophie Lancaster for being dressed as a goth in 2007 cleared for release despite denying he even touched her”.