The father of Stephen Lawrence has expressed his frustration after a public parole hearing for one of his son's killers was delayed at the last minute. David Norris was due to make his bid for freedom on Wednesday and Thursday, but the hearing was adjourned because crucial information was not provided to the panel.
A lawyer representing Stephen's father Neville Lawrence said the Government had failed to provide the necessary details to the Parole Board in time. Guy Mitchell, from Hodge Jones and Allen, said Dr Lawrence was "understandably very frustrated by this last-minute delay to the hearing which was due to go ahead on Wednesday".
Government blamed for delay
Mitchell explained that the delay was "due to the Government failing to provide certain information to the Parole Board in time". Dr Lawrence is seeking a full explanation as to the reason for this failing.
The Parole Board confirmed the hearing had to be postponed because information directed by the panel was not made available for the case. A spokesperson said the panel could not consider a parole review without all proper information being available.
Public protection priority
The board emphasised that their priority must be to ensure relevant information is available so they can thoroughly review potential risks and ensure public protection. A new date will be set for the public hearing once the missing information has been provided.
Norris was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years and three months in 2012 after he and Gary Dobson were convicted of murder in 2011. Their conviction came nearly 20 years after Stephen's racist killing in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.
Stephen's murder in 1993
Stephen was on his way to catch a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks when he was set upon and killed by a gang of five or six attackers. The attackers used a racist term before they struck the 18-year-old.
The investigation into Stephen's death was dogged by incompetence and allegations of corruption for years. Much of the controversy centred around Norris's drug dealer father Clifford Norris and his alleged connections.
Police spying scandal
There was also outrage when it emerged that undercover officers from the Metropolitan Police had spied on justice campaigners supporting the Lawrence family. A 1999 public inquiry found the force was institutionally racist, a conclusion repeated by Baroness Casey in 2023 following her review after the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer.
Parole hearings are normally held in private, but a public hearing was allowed in Norris's case after an application by the media backed by Stephen's parents. Documents revealed that Norris now accepts he was present at the scene of the murder but claims he punched Stephen and was not the person who stabbed him.
Other suspects identified
The other suspects in the case were Jamie and Neil Acourt, who have since been convicted of unrelated drugs offences, and Luke Knight. A sixth suspect, Matthew White, died 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. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said they appreciated the impact the delay had on Stephen's family, explaining that whilst every effort was made to compile necessary materials in time, delays in receiving information from another agency meant the process took longer than usual.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
