David Norris, now 49, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years and three months in January 2012, more than 18 years after Stephen was murdered by a racist gang as he ran for a bus home
Stephen Lawrence’s father calls for killer to name names before being released
Stephen Lawrence’s dad Neville says one of his son’s killers should identify the other gang members involved in the murder before being considered for parole. Mr Lawrence, 83, is bracing himself as David Norris, 49, prepares to appear before a parole board for the first time to plead for his freedom.
Norris, now 49, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years and three months in January 2012, over 18 years after Stephen was killed by a racist gang while he was running for a bus home. His parole hearing will be conducted in prison, with a video feed livestreamed to a courtroom in the Royal Courts of Justice.
Norris will be on camera, but only the back of his head will be visible. Permission was granted for his parole hearing to be held in public following an application by the media, which was supported by Stephen’s parents, with Mr Lawrence stating, “the more people that can see the better”.
In a document detailing the decision, it was disclosed that Norris now admits that he was present at the scene of the murder, but alleges that he punched Stephen and was not the person who stabbed him. Mr Lawrence expressed that it is crucial for him to hear Stephen’s killers being identified and for them to face justice.
“It’s important for me because of what these people have done,” he said. “They ruined my life. They’ve caused me not to be able to live in this country.
“They’ve robbed me of the chance of seeing my son getting married, of having (his) grandchildren. This man has robbed me of so much that there is no way I can even start to think that he should be allowed to walk free.”
Police reckon Stephen was killed by a gang of up to six people in Eltham, two of whom have been brought to justice – Norris and Gary Dobson. The pair were found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey on the basis of tiny forensic traces gathered using cutting-edge techniques.
The other suspects in the case were Jamie and Neil Acourt, who have since been convicted of unrelated drug offences, and Luke Knight. A sixth suspect, Matthew White, passed away in 2021.
The College of Policing is leading a review of the most recent stage of the investigation into Stephen’s death after Dobson and Norris were convicted. Mr Lawrence expressed his “frustration” at the pace of the justice system.
Mr Lawrence has previously stated he would be prepared to forgive his son’s killers if they showed remorse. He said that naming names would be a sign Norris is sorry and of a potential change in attitude. He stated: “If I was on that parole board, he would have to do that before I even think of him coming out.”
He added: “He could name the rest of the people that were with him. He could name the person that actually stabbed Stephen and make a public apology to my family for killing my son.”
He said “I don’t think he’ll make a public apology to us”, adding: “I may be biased but I don’t think he should be able to walk the street free – my son can’t.” Stephen was on his way to catch a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks in Eltham in April 1993 when he was attacked and killed by a gang who used a racist term before they struck.
Incompetence and allegations of corruption, centred around Norris’s drug dealer father Clifford Norris, plagued the investigation into Stephen’s death for years. There was also outrage when it came to light that undercover officers from the Metropolitan Police had spied on justice campaigners supporting the family. In 1999, a public inquiry into Stephen’s death found that the force was institutionally racist.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
