Goth killing trial: extracts from the 999 call

Long extracts from the 999 call. The next link is one of the longer reports on the trial available online.

Goth killing trial: extracts from the 999 call
Times Online, UK -



Sophie 'murdered for looking like a goth'
This Is Lancashire,

Bizarre launch Proud to be Different! campaign

A fairly popular UK magazine has now leapt into this area.

Bizarre magazine which costs £3.50, has a monthly circulation of 54,571.

"Goth" murder prompts Bizarre's Proud to be Different campaign - join up!

We’re sure you’ve all read about the current murder trial of Sophie Lancaster, the girl kicked to death in Lancashire last year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7291985.stm

It’s something that’s affected us deeply at Bizarre. Our readers pride themselves on being different and not conforming to society’s norms.

Whether you consider yourself a goth, a metaller, a rockabllly, an emo kid, a retro head, a fetish fan, or whether you’ve got body mods or tattoos, at some point in your life you’re likely to have been verbally or physically abused for the way you look.

You may have had an employer discriminating against you, someone shouting at you in the street, or suffered more serious physical abuse.

And it’s just not on. We don’t want to take it any more. And we don’t want you to take it any more.

We’ve set up an online forum where you can share your experiences, show solidarity, offload your worries, and maybe come up with ideas for strategies to help stop the hate.

Join us now at http://bizarremagazine.proboards88.com

And let’s go from there..."

Hopefully it will raise awareness of this problem.

BBC - "Goth clothes 'prompted killing'" - More grim details of Sophie's death

More News reports from today at the trial:

BBC - Goth clothes 'prompted killing'

A 15-year-old boy kicked and stamped to death a woman because she was dressed as a Goth, a court heard.

The drunk teenager was among a gang of five who "savagely and mercilessly" attacked Sophie Lancaster, 20, and her boyfriend, Preston Crown Court heard.

Miss Lancaster was begging the gang to stop beating Robert Maltby, 21, when they turned on her in Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, the jury was told.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, denies murder.

At an earlier hearing a 15-year-old boy admitted Miss Lancaster's murder and admitted attacking Mr Maltby.

The court heard her facial injuries were so severe, paramedics did not know what sex she was.

Tests indicated she had been kicked and stamped to death, with the pattern of some footwear still on her head.

Miss Lancaster, a gap-year student, died two weeks after the attack.

It would appear that [they] were singled out, not for anything they had said or done, but because they dressed differently to the defendant and his friend Michael Shorrock QC Prosecuting

Prosecuting, Michael Shorrock QC told the court the young couple, from Bacup, were walking home from a friend's house when they "fell into conversation" with a group of teenagers.

The talk was friendly and good-natured, the court heard, but five of a group of youths "turned" on Mr Maltby.

The accused had started the violence, with a flying kick to the head of Mr Maltby, the jury was told.

The gang, "encouraging each other and laughing" punched, stamped and jumped on his head until he was unconscious, Mr Shorrock said.

As Miss Lancaster kneeled down, cradling her boyfriend's head on her lap and calling for help, the accused and the 15-year-old youth who has already pleaded guilty to murder, turned on her.

The second boy kicked her in the head, with the accused joining in, the court heard.

Robert Maltby suffered head injuries

Paramedics found the couple lying side by side, covered in blood and unconscious.

Mr Shorrock said the gang had turned on the young couple simply because they were Goths or "moshers" and dressed differently to them.

Mr Maltby survived the attack in August last year but has not made a full recovery. He has no memory of the incident.

The accused, and four other youths, two aged 17 and one 16, have already pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm to Mr Maltby.

Mr Shorrock said the five, none of whom can be named, were "acting like a pack of wild animals".

"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 friend," he said.

The case continues.

Other detailed reports here:

Teenager denies murder in goth killing trial
Guardian Unlimited,

'Savage' boy, 15, 'mercilessly' kicked woman to death 'because she was a goth
Daily Mail, UK - 21 minutes ago
The teenager was among a five-strong gang, "acting like a pack of wild animals" as they "savagely and mercilessly" attacked Sophie Lancaster, 20, ...

Sophie Lancaster - Most involved admit guilt

BBC News

Teenager admits killing in park

A 16-year-old boy has admitted kicking a woman to death in a Lancashire park.

Sophie Lancaster, 20, and boyfriend Robert Maltby, 21, were in Stubby Lee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, when they were attacked on 11 August 2007.

At Preston Crown Court a youth, who cannot legally be named, admitted murder, and attacking Mr Maltby.

A 15-year-old youth is due to stand trial for the murder - he denies the charge but admits causing grevious bodily harm with intent.

Murder charges against three other youths - two aged 17 and one aged 16 - were withdrawn.

None of the youths can be named because of their age.

Remanded in custody

The three youths who had the murder charge withdrawn were remanded in custody by Judge Anthony Russell QC, Recorder of Preston, after admitting GBH.

They will be sentenced after the conclusion of the murder trial of the 15-year-old defendant.

A jury is due to be sworn in and a trial, scheduled to last three weeks, is expected to start on Wednesday. Miss Lancaster died two weeks after the incident. She was in a coma after suffering head injuries and never regained consciousness.

Mr Maltby, an art student, also fell into a coma, but recovered and has since left hospital.

The beginning of the trial saw a renewed interest with articles, in The Times, Scotsman, Guardian, Telegraph, Mirror, Mail, Metro, The Sun, BBC, Sky News and ITN plus other sources. However none of articles picked up on the wider implications of the crime many many not mentioning the role of prejudice in the attack.
Only the Lancashire Evening Telegraph article below mentioned the S.O.P.H.I.E. campaign. Why?? Some online articles do not even mention the fact that both people attacked were goths though the BBC did in their broadcast.


Will the media match the amount of time it spent on the case of goth Bus prejudice with the same amount on this case of murder and GBH? In the next few weeks we will see.

"Sophie's death prompted an out-pouring of grief from friends and family in East Lancashire.
Her mother Sylvia, from Bacup, has established SOPHIE (Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere) to call for greater under-standing for marginalised sections of society."Sophie Lancaster murder trial due to startThis Is Lancashire, UK - 10 Mar 2008

Boy, 16, admits woman's murder
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 14 hours ago
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, admitted the murder of Sophie Lancaster and the attack on her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, 21. ...

The Sun proclaimed Goth Killer Guilty.

Boy, 16, pleads guilty to beating to death female college student ...

Daily Mail - Sophie Lancaster: a 16-year-old pleaded guilty today to her murder. Miss Lancaster and Mr Maltby were beaten up in a vicious assault in Stubbylee Park, .

Lad guilty of Goth's kill horror
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 9 hours ago
A schoolboy faces an unlimited jail sentence after admitting murdering a Goth student and assaulting her boyfriend. The 16-year-old pleaded guilty yesterday ...,

Kent - Teenage goth attacked

Goth beaten up by group of men

11/03/2008

A teenage boy who was punched and kicked as he walked home from school, was picked on because of how he was dressed, police believe.

The 16-year-old, who described himself as a Goth, claimed he was attacked by three men in Windmill Road, Whitstable.

The men came up behind him after he passed by them and assaulted him, before he managed to escape. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which was on Thursday, March 6, at about 4.30pm.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Constable John Tharp on 01227 744786.

Was teenager attacked for being a 'goth'?

Was teenager attacked for being a 'goth'?

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 16-year-old boy was punched and kicked as he walked home from school.

The incident happened last Thursday at about 4.30pm in Windmill Road, Whitstable.

The boy remembers passing three men who then turned, came up behind him and started shouting. They then assaulted him and pulled him over until he managed to get away and run home.

The men are described as aged 20 to 23, wearing tracksuits, sports shoes and caps.

The boy describes himself as a Goth and it is believed this may have been why the men picked on him.

Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact DC John Tharp on 01227 744786 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.