Uk posters may already know about this case - this was a horrendous attack on a guy  (Robert Maltby)and then on his girlfriend (Sophie Lancaster) as she tried to protect him.  Sophie did not survive this attack.

"While returning home, Lancaster and Maltby were subjected to a "vicious mob attack" from "a large group of people" between 01:10 hours and 01:20 hours on Saturday, 11 August 2007, at the skate park area of Stubby Lee Park, Bacup.[2] The couple were walking home and came across a group of teenagers at the entrance to the park. The group followed them but there was no trouble until some of them suddenly assaulted Robert Maltby without provocation. When he was knocked unconscious the gang attacked Sophie Lancaster, who was trying to protect him by cradling him in her arms. A 15-year-old witness told police: "They were running over and just kicking her in the head and jumping up and down on her head." One distraught witness used a mobile to call for emergency services saying: "We need, we need an ambulance at Bacup Park, this mosher has just been banged because he's a mosher." [5] Witnesses revealed that afterwards "The killers celebrated their attack on the goths - or "moshers" - by telling friends afterwards that they had "done summat [something] good", and claiming: "There's two moshers nearly dead up Bacup park - you wanna see them - they're a right mess." [6] The injured couple were assisted by some of the teenagers who called emergency services and then stayed with the couple and tried to tend their wounds. At the trial they were commended by the judge.[7]

Police said soon afterwards it was "a sustained attack during the course of which the pair received serious head injuries and their faces were so swollen we could not ascertain which one was female and which one was male." Both were hospitalised as a result of the attack, first at Rochdale Infirmary.[1] Maltby's injuries left him in a coma with bleeding on the brain, but he gradually recovered over the next two weeks. Lancaster, in a deep coma, was moved to Fairfield Hospital in Bury, then to the Neurology unit at Hope Hospital in Salford. It became clear to hospital staff she would not recover from her injuries and on August 24, 2007 her family agreed to switch off life support and Lancaster died.[3]

Detective Supt Mick Gradwell, of Lancashire Police said it was "one of the most violent murders he had come across in his lengthy career. I do not think Herbert and Harris (accused) have recognised how violent the attack was. They have just done it without thinking but they have seemed to have enjoyed it and carried on remorselessly kicking at two very defenceless people who were unable to protect themselves because of the level of violence inflicted upon them... I am very critical of some of the parents involved. I really don't think they have taken completely seriously how repulsive this incident was..." He said that when Harris was initially interviewed about the assaults he was "laughing and joking" with his mother."

The above is from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Lancaster  - there are many newspaper articles on this attack - wiki summarised it well.

Those that committed and were arrested for this crime were 5 boys between the ages of 15 and 17 (although it seems there were at least 20 in the group - not all involved directly with the attack).
I am sure there are many instances of people being attacked verbally and physically for how they dress/the music they listen to etc - which is an absolute tragedy. Everyone should be able to express their identity and musical/artistic etc preferences without the anguish of unprovoked attacks as these.  I would urge people to think twice before ridiculing anyone for their choice of clothes/hairstyle/music taste etc - it can soon become a "pack mentality" and can lead to horrors as above.  A special fund was set up in Sophie's memory:
S.O.P.H.I.E -  Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere