Teenage boy guilty of "Goth" killing

LONDON (Reuters) - A 15-year-old boy was found guilty of murder on Thursday after he kicked a woman to death because she was a "Goth".

Brendan Harris was found guilty at Preston Crown Court of killing Sophie Lancaster after she was attacked in a park in Burnley, Lancashire, last August.

The 20-year-old gap year student had been with her boyfriend Robert Maltby when a group of youngsters set upon him in an unprovoked attack.

She begged them to stop, but was kicked and punched too. The pair were left unconscious.

Lancaster's injuries were described as so bad that it was difficult at first to tell what sex she was.

The jury heard the couple were attacked because they were wearing "Goth" clothing.

Followers of the "Goth" subculture, which began in Britain during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, stand out because of their black clothes and make-up.

Maltby, 21, survived, but Lancaster died from serious head injuries two weeks after the incident.

Harris pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Maltby, but had denied attacking Lancaster.  Continued...