GUILTY UK - Stephen Lawrence, 18, stabbed to death at Eltham bus stop, 22 April 1993

[wfgodot]

Huge case in the UK. A tip o' the hat to the tabloid Daily Mail for its urging of the pursuit of justice in the case of Stephen Lawrence.

The Lawrence Case (Wiki)

Murderers! Gary Dobson and David Norris convicted of Stephen Lawrence race hate killing in a landmark conviction after 19 years

Their son’s murder shamed Britain.

But yesterday Doreen and Neville Lawrence at last obtained a measure of justice when two thugs were convicted of their son Stephen’s appalling race-hate killing.

Nearly 19 years after the promising young student was stabbed in a South London lynching, they saw Gary Dobson and David Norris found guilty of the country’s most notorious unsolved murder.

It was a triumph for the Lawrences, who have fought tirelessly for justice and who collapsed in tears when the verdicts were handed down.

After years of false hope, doomed prosecutions and the Macpherson inquiry into police racism which shook the Establishment, it took a predominantly youthful jury of eight men and four women just 12 hours to find the pair guilty of murder following a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.

So....who or what kept this case alive and in the public eye? The Mail, that's who or what.

Both Dobson and Norris had been named as suspects within 48 hours of the murder in April 1993.

But the pair dodged justice for years, relying on a climate of fear which allowed them to swagger around Eltham, south-east London, as if nothing had happened.

In 1997, the Daily Mail took the unprecedented step of naming them – along with fellow racists Neil and Jamie Acourt and Luke Knight – as Stephen’s killers and challenging the gang to sue the newspaper. They never did [.]
---

Huge article along with many, many pictures, plus links to an abundance of other Mail articles today, at link above.

 

[wfgodot]

Gary Dobson jailed for minimum of 15 years and 2 months and David Norris to 14 years and 3 months for 'terrible and evil crime'

• Judge admits sentences lower 'than some might expect' but he has to follow the law
• Pair sentenced as juveniles. In 1993, Norris was 16 and Dobson 17
• Now turn in the others, urges Neville Lawrence, teenager's father
• Dobson's father shouts 'shame on all of you' as judge leaves court
• Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe: 'The other people involved in murder of Stephen Lawrence should not rest easily in their beds'
• Stephen Lawrence's mother: 'The sentences that happened may be quite low, but at the same time the judge's hands were tied. And for that, as much as he can do, I am very grateful.'

the story at Daily Mail link above

 

[fran]

LOL, wonder how the newly convicted "Dodson," likes this description of him.

Hee-hee............."Gang Stooge"

fran


Bigoted , gang stooge, another racially motivated knife attack and a five-year sentence for drug running: What the jury WASN'T told about Dobson

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ury-wasnt-told-Gary-Dobson.html#ixzz1iVgsdpWW

 

[zwiebel]

A public inquiry is to be held, after a different inquiry found the UK's top detectives had spied on the victim's family. This is linked to police corruption.

The UK's Home Secretary says it is 'profoundly shocking'

Stephen's mum says it is all 'too late.' Poor, but brave, brave lady. She's never let her boy down.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/06/stephen-lawrence-police-corruption-ellison-report

Try this link. Guardian's moving at a snail's pace.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26466867

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Britain's most wanted arrested:
Stephen Lawrence murder suspect Jamie Acourt has been arrested at gunpoint in Spain in connection with a £4 million marijuana plot. Armed police swooped on the 41-year-old, who was on the run for two years and on the National Crime Agency's 'most wanted' list, as he left a gym. Acourt was held in Barcelona on Friday following a joint operation involving NCA, Scotland Yard, and Spanish police officers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ourt-captured-Spain-4-million-drugs-plot.html

 

[Amonet]

I'm thinking that in cases like this where the suspects evade police for years that when they're finally sentenced they should get the sentence plus however long they evaded arrest/conviction!

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I appreciate this crime happened 25 years ago, but given it's one of Britain's most publicised murders I'm surprised the posts here average one per year!

 

[asyousay]

Even though I live in London and knew the name Stephen Lawrence I knew next to nothing about this crime. I was too young when it happened and never took any interest in it when I got older.

In the last few weeks I have been watching documentaries on this crime and it’s absolutely fascinating how badly it was handled.

I guess I do suffer with white privilege as I had no idea how bad racism was when I was a kid growing up in London as it never affected me and I never saw it.


I can not imagine the pain and suffering of losing your son and then hearing about how the police who should protect you wouldn’t event touch him to give him first aid as he was dying. It’s just absolutely revolting that people who should protect you would behave so callously towards another human being.


Saying all that I’m not convinced that the evidence was strong enough to convict. I believe they was guilty but it all seemed a bit to coincidental to find this evidence and the Met looked so bad by this stage they needed to nail somebody for it. It’s no coincidence that straight after they got these two they sacked the road investigator and said “ they had now done enough” and it would be put on the back burner.

 

[sds71]

New Stephen Lawrence suspect named as Met Police makes rare decision

Police have confirmed the name of a sixth alleged attacker in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence after the Metropolitan Police said 'many mistakes' were made in the 1990s investigation

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[RichardKimble]

Comes as no surprise.

Senior Stephen Lawrence officer Ray Adams was corrupt, says secret Met report:​

A senior officer involved in the Stephen Lawrence murder case was corrupt, according to a secret Met Police report uncovered by the BBC.
It said Ray Adams was cleared by a corruption probe which relied on false testimony from a man linked to the family of one of Stephen's killers.

Senior Stephen Lawrence officer Ray Adams was corrupt, says secret Met report

Report concluded lies by man linked to killer’s family cleared officer in corruption probe, BBC reveals.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Lawrence killer admits role in attack - Parole Board​

IMAGE SOURCE, FAMILY HANDOUT/PA
Image caption, Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in 1993

Daniel De Simone
Investigations correspondent

Published 10 minutes ago

Reports suggest that one of Stephen Lawrence's murderers now accepts being involved in attacking the black teenager, the Parole Board has said.

David Norris was jailed for life in 2012 after he had denied being part of the racist attack on 18-year-old Stephen, who was stabbed to death by a gang of young white men in Eltham, south London.

The Parole Board issued a decision on Thursday that Norris's parole hearing should be heard in public.

He became eligible for parole in December after his minimum term expired.
The Parole Board report, external said: "Recent reports now suggest he has accepted he was present at the scene and punched the victim but claims that he did not wield the knife. He does not accept he holds racist views."

[…]

The Met's murder investigation was closed in 2020. Negotiations are currently taking place for an independent review of the case, which was triggered by a series of Met failings exposed by the BBC.

IMAGE SOURCE, PA MEDIA
Image caption, David Norris was handed a minimum prison term of 14 years and three months in 2012 for the 1993 murder

Norris, who was convicted following an Old Bailey trial, has not previously admitted his role in the murder to any official authority or investigation.

Norris gave a "no comment" interview when arrested aged 16 in 1993 following the murder. He refused to answer questions at Stephen's inquest in 1997.

In 1998 he appeared at the public inquiry into the murder but could not be asked directly about the attack. The following year he gave a television interview to ITV in which he denied being part of the murder.

Norris opposed his parole hearing being held in public, but the Parole Board ruled against him. Stephen's family wanted the hearing to be heard in public.

[…]

A hearing date is expected to be fixed later this year.

[…]

Stephen Lawrence killer admits role in attack - Parole Board

David Norris was jailed for life in 2012 after he denied being part of the racist attack on Stephen Lawrence.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Stephen Lawrence killer’s ‘admission’ could offer breakthrough, police believe​

Exclusive: David Norris may be asked to name other gang members after reportedly admitting his role in attack

Dr Neville Lawrence, Stephen’s father, said Norris should be kept in prison until he named the other gang members involved in his son’s murder: “If he wants to get out he should divulge who the others are, everybody who was there.”

Parole Board documents report Norris has admitted punching Stephen, and therefore being present at the scene of the attack.

Stephen Lawrence killer’s ‘admission’ could offer breakthrough, police believe

Exclusive: David Norris may be asked to name other gang members after reportedly admitting his role in attack

www.theguardian.com