Stephen Lawrence killer admits role but refuses to name accomplices

Wait 5 sec.

Julia QuenzlerBaroness Lawrence watched David Norris on a screen at the parole hearing in LondonStephen Lawrence's mother says her son's murderer David Norris remains a danger to the public and must remain in prison.A statement from Baroness Doreen Lawrence was read by her lawyer to a public parole hearing for Norris.He is bidding to be released from prison on licence, 13 years after being handed a life sentence for murdering Stephen in 1993.The parole board is hearing three days of evidence this week before deciding whether Norris is safe to be released on licence. The panel hearing the evidence could also recommend that he move to an open prison, or direct that he should remain in a closed prison.The hearing itself is taking place in an unnamed prison, with a video stream to the Royal Courts of Justice in London for Stephen's family, the press and public.Norris has elected not to face the camera, with only his back visible on screen. He can be seen in a black T-shirt, glasses and with greying hair.Baroness Lawrence is watching him on the screen.Imran Khan KC, Baroness Lawrence's solicitor, read a statement on her behalf, while Norris watched on from prison.She refused to use Norris's name, saying he "does not deserve to be named by me".She said he "killed my son in the most brutal and callous fashion. In doing so he changed my life and life of my family members forever".HandoutStephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in 1993Baroness Lawrence said the murder had led to her becoming divorced from her husband, suffering extraordinarily painful mental health, having to fight for decades to get justice and thereby losing her privacy, and being harassed and vilified by people who applauded her son's killers.She said she could not forgive Norris because he has not "expressed any acceptance, any contrition and certainly has no humanity"."If he did, he would have told us what he did, why he did and taken responsibility for his murderous actions," she said.She said anyone who does not accept what they have done and shown remorse for it "remains in my view a danger to the public".She added: "I simply cannot see him walking the streets of our diverse country without thinking that he would harm someone like me – a black person."Her statement quoted from extreme racist language which Norris was recorded expressing by a police bug the year after Stephen was murdered. In one recording, Norris had fantasised about torturing black people.Baroness Lawrence said: "Any person who expresses views like these and does not recant is an obvious danger to society and must remain in custody."PA MediaDavid Norris was handed a minimum prison term of 14 years and three months in 2012 for the murderOnly two of the gang - Norris and Gary Dobson - who were involved in the racist stabbing of the 18-year-old in Eltham, south London, in April 1993 have ever been brought to justice, with four other suspects never convicted.Three of the original prime suspects - brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, and Luke Knight - have never been convicted and remain free.For decades Norris publicly denied involvement in the murder, giving no-comment interviews to police, and claiming he was innocent during his trial.However, the parole hearing on Tuesday heard confirmation that he had admitted involvement since being in prison, but denies stabbing Stephen or using a knife. He claims to have changed his mind on accepting being involved after watching a documentary featuring Stephen's father, Dr Neville Lawrence.Norris's admission has created an extraordinary situation: he is seeking to be released from a prison sentence for a crime he admits carrying out, while most of those responsible have never been held to account.Speaking to the BBC ahead of the hearing today, Dr Lawrence said Norris should name the other killers before he can be judged to be safe for release from prison.He said: "I wouldn't think that he's generally changed his behaviour and mind, if he doesn't name all the others that was with him."Norris is due to give evidence this afternoon, after reading a statement about the murder.The parole hearing heard he continued to use racist language in prison, with Norris having been recorded in 2022 using the same racial slur that was hurled at Stephen before he was stabbed.The hearing was told the secretary of state for justice opposes the release of Norris from prison.Stephen Lawrence murderer must name other killers, father says'Prince Harry told me I was being hacked' - Stephen Lawrence's mum