Stephen Lawrence's dad believes 'one man holds key to nailing all my son's killers'

Daily Record

a day ago

Neville Lawrence has spoken out ahead of a parole hearing.
The father of Stephen Lawrence has said he believes one of the thugs behind his son's death "holds the key" to nailing the rest of the killers - after he finally confessed to being involved in the murder. Neville Lawrence is preparing to watch David Norris give evidence at his public parole hearing next week.
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In March it emerged that 48-year-old Norris has admitted for the first time in 32 years to being in the gang of five or six youths that killed Stephen while shouting: 'What, what n*****?' He had previously always denied having anything to do with the knife attack on the 18-year-old student.
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The teenager was fatally attacked at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. Mr Lawrence said: 'I just hope that whatever he says can be used as evidence against the rest. My message to him would be, 'You have served so many years in prison, you've known what you did was wrong'.
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"'You refused to give the information in the early days about all the other boys that were involved. I need you to say exactly who was there with you that night because we now know that you were there'. I want to hear if he is genuinely sorry about what he did and his part in taking my son's life. I want to hear the reason he gives for doing that.'
The Mirror reports the Lawrence family fought for justice after they were repeatedly failed by the Metropolitan Police who bungled the investigation and spied on their campaign. It took until 2012 for Norris and Gary Dobson, 49, to be convicted of murder. The rest remained free and the investigation was closed in 2020.
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With Norris' minimum sentence coming to an end he is entitled to be considered for release. Mr Lawrence, 83, said: 'If I was part of that parole board he would have to genuinely tell me that he's completely changed his views about seeing people on the street. Would he pass a Black person and call them a n***** or something like that still? Has he changed his attitude towards others?
'That's one of the main things I would like to know from him.' Mr Lawrence and ex-wife Baroness Doreen Lawrence were let down by detectives who failed to arrest suspects despite having their names within hours of the attack. The then Labour government granted the family a public inquiry and the Macpherson report delivered damning findings.
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Dobson is serving life with a minimum of 15 years and two months. Norris was sentenced to 14 years, three months. Mr Lawrence said: 'I feel it's very unfair that these people who took my son's life 32 years ago are going to be able to come out and walk up and down like an everyday person.
'My son will never be able to do that because he's dead and it's because of these people that robbed me of my son.' A report by Baroness Louise Casey two years ago found the Met guilty of institutional racism, sexism and homophobia – reflecting the conclusions of the 1999 Macpherson report.
Met chief Sir Mark Rowley said last week that it was 'shameful' that black boys in London were more likely to die by 18 than white boys. Mr Lawrence, who has been awarded an OBE and honorary doctorate in law, said of his comments: 'Well, he's always talking and saying things. We need action, stop talking and do the action.
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'Over the years even in the Black police they don't get the chance to do the jobs they were supposed to do. They are being sidelined all of the time as far as I can remember before even Steve was murdered. They don't get the chance. There are good Black officers I know that have been persecuted over years that eventually have had to leave the force."
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The Lawrences expressed their thanks to the former Detective Chief Inspector whose probe led to Dobson and Norris being jailed. And we can reveal that the ex-officer, Clive Driscoll, is working as an adviser on a review of the case headed by the College of Policing. It is examining if any leads have been missed since he left the force.
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Mr Driscoll had been optimistic charges would be brought against more of the gang but was told to retire by the Met in 2014. The retired police chief, portrayed by Steve Coogan in 2021 ITV drama Stephen, said two years ago: 'I've always felt there were lines of inquiry that could have been pursued.'
Mr Lawrence said: 'I am glad that the review has now started and hope they come up with something that secures further justice for my son.' Mr Lawrence spoke to us at the Kingston Race and Equalities Council in South West London. Its CEO John Azah said: 'They should have done the decent thing and let him know that they had agreed the terms of reference for the review.
"It's quite disgusting that they continue to treat him with the disdain they have shown to him since the murder of his son 32 years ago.' Mr Lawrence said of Norris: 'He holds all of the key evidence because he was part of the people who were there.' He went on trial at the Old Bailey.
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During questioning by prosecutor Mark Ellison QC, the thug was repeatedly asked what he had been doing when the teenager was killed, Norris said: 'You are accusing me of murder. I am an innocent man.' At the time of the killing Norris was 16 and living four miles from the scene with his mum and gangster dad Clifford in Chislehurst.
He was captured in a police surveillance video describing how he would kill Black people, those of Pakistani origin and police officers. Norris said in a clip shown at his trial: 'I'd go down Catford and places like that, I am telling you now, with two sub-machine guns. He talked about torturing a Black person and setting them alight.
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He said: 'I'd blow their two arms and legs off and say, 'Go on, you can swim home now'.' His lawyers opposed having this month's parole hearing – listed for July 30 and 31 – in public. But an application from the media was backed by Neville and Doreen. Norris was caught in 2022 taking selfies on a mobile phone in prison and bragging he would be free in two years.
In a social media post apparently sent from jail, the killer wrote that he was 'buzzing' after learning he would be up for parole He added: 'Get that party sorted girls 'cos I [will] be there soon.' Inmates are banned from having mobiles in cells and breaches can result in an extra two years inside. Stephen was stabbed to death as he waited for a bus with pal Duwayne Brooks, now 50.
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Brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were accused of being in the gang and have served time for drug dealing. Another, Luke Knight, remained free. All deny involvement. The sixth suspect was Matthew White, who died at 50 in 2021. He was named for the first time two years later by the BBC who exposed a series of police failings relating to him.
The CPS ruled last year that four officers involved in the botched Met probe would not face charges. A Met spokesman said: 'Our objective remains to achieve the arrest, prosecution and conviction of all of those responsible for Stephen's murder. We believe all viable lines of enquiry had been exhausted by the time the last investigation was closed in 2020.
"We are approaching the independent review with a completely open mind and will give it our full backing to identify any missed opportunities from the past 10 years. The review, which is being led by the College of Policing, is now progressing following the agreement of its terms with Baroness Lawrence.'