Sophie and her boyfriend Rob Maltby were targeted by “feral thugs” Ryan Herbert and Brendon Harris. When Gap-year student Miss Lancaster ran to help her boyfriend and pleaded with them to stop  Herbert and Harris turned on her and also viciously attacked her kicking and stamping on her until she lost consciousness”.

Sophie's mother Sylvia Lancaster OBE, now a prominent hate crime campaigner and who runs a charity in her daughter's name, has slammed the decision “. I am glad he's doing well in prison and hopefully he's changed. But he was given a sentence and he should serve it in my opinion. They say he's been doing these courses, that's good, but my daughter never got the chance to do hers”

In 2007 Herbert was given a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years and three months - later reduced to 15-and-a-half years on appeal.

Has now had that  sentence reduced even further, to 14 and a half years by  High Court Judge Mr Justice William Davis saying "the way in which he is described by the senior staff at (HMP Warren Hill) goes significantly beyond what would be expected of any inmate making good progress.". However there has been no mention of remorse and that seven years ago his sentence was increased by four months after battering a nurse in a psychiatric ward.

Sophie and Rob were targeted because they were members of the goth subculture and "looked and dressed differently.".

Herbert is a danger to society and should serve at least the original full term imposed - if not actual life in prison.

(quotes from manchestereveningnews.co.uk )