The murder of little Sophie Hook left an “indelible scar” on the “collective consciousness” of tormented locals – who today said her killer should never be freed.
The Mirror revealed Howard Hughes – jailed for life for killing Sophie, seven – had hired a new legal team to try and win his freedom 30 years after the murder. The 6ft 8in tall unemployed gardener, now 59, snatched her from a tent as she camped in her cousin’s back garden for his birthday. Hughes then raped and strangled her before throwing her body into the sea.
Today, Merfyn Parry, the councillor for Denbighshire County where the brutal murder happened, said: “I feel compelled to voice the sentiments of our community. The crime committed by Hughes was not only heinous but also left an indelible scar on our collective consciousness. The abduction of young Sophie from a place where she should have been safe, followed by the unimaginable brutality she endured, is a tragedy that continues to resonate deeply with us all.”
Sophie, from Great Budworth, Cheshire, was in her uncle’s back garden in Llandudno, North Wales, on July 30 1995 when she was snatched. Hughes’ trial heard the pervert and petty crook had earlier been eavesdropping on them from behind a hedge.
Chester crown court heard Hughes had spent the rest of the day leering at girls in Llandudno and had tried to abduct a six-year-old who escaped into her granny’s arms. Two hours after the children went to bed, Hughes pulled Sophie from her sleeping bag. Her body was found on Llandudno beach the next morning.
The killer, from nearby Colwyn Bay, was well known to the police, having been accused of sex attacks on children before, and was arrested within hours. Hughes Hughes has already tried three times for a review of his case – in 1998, 2004 and 2017. Each time the Criminal Case Review Commission “made a decision not to refer the conviction to the Court of Appeal because reviews found no real possibility of it being overturned”.
Hughes was told that he would serve at least 50 years but last week the Mirror revealed he had hired a new legal team to try and win his freedom. Hughes’ new lawyers have requested files from his 1996 trial to try and uncover evidence that he was not responsible. Any new appeal would mean fresh agony for Sophie’s family.
And Councillor Parry said today: “During his sentencing in 1996, Mr Justice Richard Curtis described Hughes as a fiend and recommended that he should never be released. This sentiment was further reinforced by then-Home Secretary David Blunkett in 2002, who set a minimum term of 50 years before Hughes could be considered for parole.
“The severity of Hughes’s actions, combined with the profound impact on the community, underscores the necessity of upholding the original sentencing recommendations. Allowing his release would not only undermine the gravity of his crime, but also potentially jeopardise public safety.
“I urge the relevant authorities to consider the lasting trauma experienced by Sophie’s family and the community. Justice, in this case, must reflect the severity of the crime, ensuring that Howard Hughes remains incarcerated for the duration of his life.”
Sophie’s mother, Julie, previously said: “Sophie was, and always will be, to us a vivacious, fun-loving, extremely popular, beautiful and intelligent child. No child could have received or given more love to us.”
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