Brendan Harris, one of the killers of Sophie Lancaster, is to be released from prison after the Parole Board ruled he had addressed his use of violence. Sophie, 20, was fatally attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, in August 2007 after she tried to protect her boyfriend Robert Maltby from a gang of teenagers. The couple were targeted because of their appearance.
Harris was jailed for life in 2008 alongside Ryan Herbert for the murder. Herbert was released in 2022. The Parole Board panel noted that Harris had completed an accredited programme to address his violence and had engaged with a specialist regime. His behaviour in prison was described as good, and all witnesses supported his release.
Harris will be released on licence with strict conditions, including residing at a designated address, submitting to drug and alcohol monitoring, and observing a curfew. The panel acknowledged that Harris had misused alcohol and drugs at the time of the offence and had struggled with managing extreme emotions.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions, as Sophie's mother Sylvia had previously expressed concerns about the release of her daughter's killers. The Parole Board stated that the panel considered the risk factors and concluded that Harris could be safely managed in the community.
