One of Stephen Lawrence’s killers has admitted to being at the scene of the murder, reports have suggested. However, he claims that he did not wield the knife. David Norris, 48, has denied being involved in the racist attack of the teeneager in 1993 but was eventually found guilty in 2012. Norris has now made a bid for freedom ahead of a parole hearing and reportedly admitted to being there when the murder happened, a ruling released last night revealed.
Parole Board vice chair Peter Rook KC wrote: “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.” Stephen Lawrence was 18 years old when he was killed. He was attacked by a gang of five or six white youths as he waited for a bus in Eltham, southeast London, in April 1993.
Norris was one of the two people to be imprisoned for the murder in 2012. Gary Dobson was also jailed for the murder. Both men were 16 years old at the time.
The men were brought to justice nearly 20 years later after a forensic breakthrough. Lawrence was stabbed twice during the unprovoked attack. Norris and Dobson were convicted under the law of joint enterprise, which allows people to be convicted of murder even if they did not inflict the fatal blow.
David Norris’ minimum jail term expired in December and he will be considered for release on licence. The Parole Board has said that Norris had been diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after being assaulted in prison a number of times. His solicitors said that holding a hearing in public would result in “additional emotional distress” for Norris.
His solicitors added that he would not be able to give his “best evidence” in a public hearing and there was “no good reason” that the hearing could not be private.
The date for Norris’ parole hearing is yet to be decided. Mr Rook said that Norris’ psychological condition was taken into consideration but pointed out that it was trumped by the ongoing public interest in the case, so it was granted for the hearing to be held in public.
Mr Rook said that Norris had been “the victim of at least three assaults whilst in prison” and received “serious injuries” on at least two occasions.
Lawrence’s father Neville Lawrence previously told the Daily Mail that he would not be happy with Norris getting parole but would accept it if he showed remorse for the attack.