SOPHIE Lancaster was murdered after trying to shield her boyfriend from a 'savage and merciless' gang of thugs, a court heard.

She and boyfriend Robert Maltby, 21, who met at Haslingden High School, were targeted last August "because they looked and dressed differently", prosecutor Michael Shorrock QC told the jury.

The yobs first attacked Robert at Stubbylee Park, Bacup, after saying: "Shall we batter him? Let's batter him", Mr Shorrock said.

They rained kicks and punches on Robert's body, before jumping and standing on his head, all the while "encouraging each other and laughing", the court heard.

Sophie then tried to protect him. She knelt down, cradled his head in her lap and tried to shield him from the yobs, shouting at them to leave him alone, Mr Shorrock said.

But two of the yobs then turned on Sophie, first kicking her in the head before continuing to put the boot in and stamping on her head as she lay helpless on the floor, the court was told.

Paramedics found the pair side-by-side unconscious on the floor. The court was told that they could not tell who was male and who was female as their facial injuries were so severe.

Sophie, who also went to Stonefold Primary School, Rising Bridge, died two weeks later. Mr Shorrock said Robert had so far made a partial recovery.

A 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to murdering Sophie but a 15-year-old boy denies that charge and is on trial.

Mr Shorrock said: "Shortly after midnight on Friday, August 10, this defendant, with four other young men, all teenagers from Bacup, acted together like a pack of wild animals. They savagely and mercilessly attacked and beat unconscious a young man called Robert Maltby.

"And then when his girlfriend Sophie tried to help him, this defendant, with another young man, attacked and beat her into unconsciousness.

"It would appear that Robert Maltby and Miss Lancaster were singled out, not for anything they said or had done, but because they looked and dressed differently to the defendant and his friends."

In a statement read to the court, Robert said he could remember nothing of the beating. He said: "The next thing that I remember is that I'm half awake and I think I was in hospital.

"I felt disorientated when I woke up, thinking why am I here?' "I left hospital the day they turned Sophie's life support off. When I was in hospital I was told Sophie was in a coma as well. It was the Wednesday before I was allowed to go home, that mum came in and told me there was very little chance they were going to save her.

"I went to Hope Hospital and saw her in intensive care on the Wednesday."

The court was told the couple had been living together for about six months at a house in King Street, Bacup. Robert was a student who was on holiday. He had a holiday job packing doors for a local firm. Sophie was unemployed at the time and in receipt of a Jobseekers' Allowance before she went to college in September.

He said he and Sophie were "not really goths". Robert said: "The difference was I had long hair and Sophie had dreadlocks. Sophie had lots of piercings, about 20.

"Usually when we met a large group we'd talk to their girlfriends because they were friendly. Whenever we met people who weren't like us they asked Sophie about her piercings.

"I dye my hair, I wear fairly normal clothes but my long hair and piercings make it a little bit more likely that I might be attacked."

The court heard how the incident was seen by several teenagers and many were said to be friends of the defendants. Some tried to stop the attacks, Mr Shorrock said.

Others called 999 and stayed with Robert and Sophie until paramedics arrived.

The court heard how the couple had spent the evening at their friend's house in Rochdale Road, Bacup. They left about 11.40pm saying they were walking home.

Their route took them past a Total petrol station in Market Street where they had a "good-natured" conversation with a number of local teenagers.

Mr Shorrock said after a short while they went into Stubbylee Park on to the skate ramps where there was a further conversation. He said that then, suddenly and without warning or provocation, the couple were attacked.

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