Buzzin Disgrace

Sophie Lancaster 20, a gap year student, was walking through Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, with her boyfriend, Robert Maltby 21,  in the early hours of August 11th 2007 when they were attacked by five teenagers.

It started as a friendly chat with the group of teenagers with Sophie apparently handing around cigarettes when suddenly they turned on her boyfriend.

The prosecutor in this case, Michael Shorrock QC said “The attack was totally unprovoked.  It would appear that Mr Maltby and Miss Lancaster were singled out, not for anything they had said or done, but because they dressed differently to the defendant and his friends. The reason for the attack on Robert Maltby appears to have been simply because he was what they described as a ‘Goth’ or ‘Mosher’.”

“Robert was brought to the ground by punches and kicks.  When on the ground kicks rained into his head and body.  His head was stamped on.  Miss Lancaster was on her knees cradling her boyfriend’s head in her lap calling for help and shouting at the defendants to leave him alone.”

But the group ignored her plea’s “acting like a pack of wild animals” and instead two of them began “savagely and mercilessly” raining down blows on Sophie’s head “as though it was a football” until she fell into a coma.

“Kicks and stamps to the head and body followed, the defendants goading each other on.”

Miss Lancaster was left in a coma with serious head and facial injuries.  Her boyfriend Robert, was also left in a coma but has since partially recovered.

When the paramedics arrived they found them lying side by side covered in blood and so badly injured that that it was difficult to tell which was which.  Miss Lancaster was also said to have had a piece of flesh missing from her head where her attackers had pulled out her hair.

The gang were said to have run off to a local petrol station where they boasted to friends about what they had done.  One of the teenagers offered a witness Robert’s mobile phone, telling him “We’ve just beaten someone up - do you want a phone?” another said “You wanna see them they’re a right mess.”

Miss Lancaster died 13 days later without regaining consciousness.  Mr Maltby suffered a fractured skull and has made only a partial recovery but he now suffers from severe memory loss.

Yesterday, a 15 year old boy, who yet again can’t be named for legal reasons, but was know in the court as Boy A, went on trial.  A 16 year old boy has already pleaded guilty to the charge.  These two thugs and three others, two aged 17 and one aged 16, have admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Maltby.

The family of Sophie were in the public gallery of the court  and were obviously upset by the horrific story as it unraveled.

There were said to be at least six young witnesses who saw the attack between the ages of 14-17 years old.  One of the witnesses, a 15 year old boy tried to stop the attack and told the police “It looked like they were running over and just kicking her in the head.”

A young girl, who also witnessed this savage attack said “I started crying because I’d never seen anything like that.”

Boy A has admitted punching Mr Maltby but has denied being involved with the attack on Miss Lancaster, he told police “I remember a lad shouted somebody hit him.  I don’t know why.  I was drunk and showing off but I stepped forward and hit the male once.  He did not fall over or even stagger.  He started to laugh.”

Only one of the 15 year old’s  and the 17 year old were remanded in custody while the other three thugs were released on bail. 

The case is continuing but I hope these evil yobs get exactly what they deserve, but I doubt they will.  How can they do that to someone, how sick! but again drink is blamed for their actions, when is someone going to start listening to what is happening on our streets?