Stephen Lawrence's father has stated that one of his son's killers should reveal the other gang members participating in the murder before being considered for early release.
Parole Hearing Nears for Jailed Murderer
Stephen's father, now 83, is awaiting David Norris's first appearance before the release committee where he will request his freedom.
Norris, now 49 years old, was sentenced to a life sentence with a minimum sentence of 14 years and three months in early 2012, more than 18 years after Stephen was murdered by a racist gang while waiting for a bus home.
Special Court Proceedings
The release review will take place in prison with a live stream broadcast to a courtroom at the central London court. Norris will appear on camera, but only the back of his head will be visible to viewers.
Permission was given for his parole hearing to be public after news outlets applied with the support of Stephen's family, with Neville Lawrence saying: "The more people that can see, the better."
Confession and Continuing Denial
In case papers outlining the ruling, it was revealed that Norris now accepts he was present at the location of the murder, but claims that he only punched Stephen and was not fatally wounded him.
Lawrence stressed the importance of hearing Stephen's killers being named and brought to justice. "It matters for me because of their actions," he stated.
"They ruined my life. They've caused me not to be able to live in this country. They've robbed me of the opportunity of seeing my son getting married, of having grandchildren."
"Norris has robbed me of so much that there is no way I can even begin to consider that he should be permitted to walk free."
Investigation Details
Police investigators believe Stephen was murdered by a gang of as many as six people in southeast London, with only two having been convicted – Norris and Gary Dobson.
The two men were found guilty by a jury at the central criminal court based on minute DNA evidence collected using cutting-edge techniques.
Other suspects in the case included Jamie and Neil Acourt, who have since been found guilty of unrelated drug offences, and Luke Knight. A sixth suspect, Matthew White, passed away in 2021.
Ongoing Review
The College of Policing is conducting a examination of the latest phase of the inquiry into Stephen's death following the guilty verdicts of Dobson and Norris.
Family's Anguish
Lawrence voiced being "disappointed" at the speed of the justice system.
He has earlier stated he would be prepared to pardon his son's killers if they demonstrated regret. He stated that naming names would be a sign Norris was remorseful and of a possible shift in attitude.
"If I was on that release committee, he would have to do that before I even think of him coming out."
He continued: "He could name the other individuals that were with him. He could name the person that actually stabbed Stephen and make a formal apology to my family for killing my son."
He commented: "I don't think he'll make a public apology to us," adding: "I may be biased but I don't believe he should be able to walk the street free – my son can't."
Tragic Events
Stephen was on his way to board public transport with his friend Duwayne Brooks in Eltham in April 1993 when he was attacked and murdered by a gang who used racist terms before they struck.
Investigation Challenges
Poor handling and allegations of corruption, centred around Norris's father involved in narcotics, plagued the investigation into Stephen's death for decades.
There was also outrage when it was revealed that police spies from the London police had spied on justice campaigners supporting the family.
In the late 1990s, a official investigation into Stephen's death concluded that the force was institutionally racist.
