Brendan Harris, the last of the teenagers jailed over the murder of Sophie Lancaster, has been cleared for release on licence despite denying that he personally attacked her.
Harris, now 35, was convicted of murder after Sophie, 20, was beaten in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, in 2007. He has maintained that he attacked her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, but did not strike Sophie when she came to his aid.
A Parole Board decision said Harris accepted he had taken part in a “group attack” and was therefore responsible, along with others, for Sophie’s death.
It also noted that he accepted attacking Mr Maltby, but claimed he had not assaulted Sophie. The board said his denial concerned the “factual detail” of whether he had physically attacked her, rather than the nature or seriousness of the offending.
David Lammy made a last-ditch attempt to block Harris’s release before he was removed as Justice Secretary, arguing that Harris had never accepted his guilt for killing Sophie. The appeal has now been rejected.
Stephen Dawson, dismissing the appeal, said Harris accepted that his behaviour had led to “the death and serious injury of two victims”.
Release conditions for Sophie Lancaster killer
Harris became eligible for parole after reaching the end of his minimum term in August 2025. The Parole Board recommended his release after finding that he had not displayed violence for more than 13 years and had behaved well in prison.
He will be required to remain of good behaviour, observe a curfew, undergo alcohol monitoring and drug testing, and disclose developing relationships to his probation officer. He must also comply with an exclusion zone preventing contact with victims and continue work addressing the factors linked to his offending.
While in custody, Harris was transferred to a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In 2013, he broke a male nurse’s nose in what a court described as a single substantial blow. He was convicted of grievous bodily harm and had four months added to his life sentence.
Sophie was attacked after she and Mr Maltby, then 21, were singled out by a group of youths as they walked through the Lancashire park. Prosecutors said the couple had been targeted because they looked and dressed differently.
Sophie suffered severe head injuries and died in hospital 13 days later. Mr Maltby was also seriously injured and fell into a coma before gradually recovering.
Witnesses said the attackers later boasted: “There’s two moshers nearly dead up there – you wanna see them – they’re a right mess.”
Harris, who was 15 at the time, admitted starting the attack and said he had been drunk and showing off. He launched a series of kicks at Sophie’s face, the trial heard.
Ryan Herbert, who was 16, admitted Sophie’s murder. Harris was convicted of the same offence after a trial, and both were given life sentences with minimum terms. They were also convicted of grievous bodily harm against Mr Maltby, along with three other teenagers.
Herbert was released on licence in 2022 after the Parole Board found he had made significant changes in his life, showing remorse, insight and increased maturity.
Sophie’s mother, Sylvia Lancaster, said at the time that she was “very disappointed”, adding: “Once again we have a justice system that fails to deliver justice.”
Dr Lancaster, who was later appointed OBE for her campaigning, died suddenly in hospital a month after Herbert’s release. The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, established in her name to challenge prejudice against people from alternative subcultures, has said its focus is on all victims of hate crime and those whose lives have been irrevocably changed by hatred and violence.
