Stephen Lawrence’s dad Neville warned that anything David Norris says ‘must be treated with the utmost caution’ but said the convicted killer ‘should name the others’ who were involved
Stephen Lawrence’s dad has called on one of his son’s killers to name the others after he finally confessed to being involved in the racist murder.
Neville Lawrence was speaking after David Norris, 48, admitted being in the gang of thugs who killed 18-year-old Stephem. Norris has always denied having anything to do with the knife attack on the student as he waited for a bus in Eltham, south east London, in April 1993. A Parole Board report said on Thursday – revealed by the Mirror – that he has now admitted punching Stephen but claims he did not stab him.
It comes as Norris attempts to persuade officials that he should be released from prison. Speaking to the Mirror from his home in Jamaica, Neville said: “This man has always denied having anything to do with my son’s murder, but now 32 years on as he attempts to get out of jail, he says he is guilty to some extent.
Police consider fresh Stephen Lawrence probe after killer’s bombshell confession
“Anything he says must be treated with the utmost caution, but if he now wants to tell the truth he should name the others who joined him in murdering my son. I would hope that a good detective has already acted on this fresh information and questioned him about this in prison. If this has not happened, I would like to know why not.”
It appears police have not yet spoken to Norris and the investigation remains inactive. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the force is urgently reviewing the information in the Parole Board report. Former Met detective Clive Driscoll, who led the successful probe into Norris, told the Mirror: “Let’s wait and see what Mr Norris has to say. But I would say that if he does now admit he was present during the attack then he will know who else was involved.”
Norris is due to have a parole hearing in the coming months that will be open to the public. It is expected to hear further details of what he now claims occurred. Neville, 83, said: “I have written a statement about how the loss of my son has affected me and my family and I and hope this will be read at his parole hearing. Is he sorry for what he has done?
“People in prison should show remorse seeing as these people have taken 32 years of my life. He needs to say to the family he is sorry for the pain he has caused us.”
Stephen was stabbed to death by up to six thugs shouting “what, n*****?” as he waited for a bus with pal Duwayne Brooks at a bus stop in Eltham, South East London. Norris was finally jailed for Stephen’s murder in 2012, and was given a minimum term of 14 years and three months which, due to time spent on remand, is nearly up.
Norris told his Old Bailey trial that he had forgotten where he was on the night of the murder. But he was clear he had not been in Eltham at the time, saying he was an “innocent man”. His mother Theresa Norris was accused of inventing a false alibi by telling the jury her son was at home that night..
At the time of the murder Norris was 16 and living with his mum and gangster dad Clifford in Chislehurst, Kent. The teenager was later captured in a police surveillance video using extreme racist language to describe how he would kill black people, people of Pakistani origin and police officers.
He talked about torturing a black person and setting them alight, saying: “I’d blow their two arms and legs off and say, ‘Go on, you can swim home now’.”
Norris was caught in 2022 taking selfies on a mobile phone in prison and bragging he would be free in two years. In a social media post apparently sent from jail, Norris – whose nickname is “Nozza” – wrote that he was “buzzing” after learning he would be up for parole. He added: “Get that party sorted girls ‘cos I [will] be there soon. Eye Eye the man’s bk [back] in town.”
Inmates are banned from having mobile phones in their cells. Norris and Gary Dobson, 48, are the only members of the gang that killed Stephen to be convicted. Dobson got a minimum term of 15 years and two months.
Brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were accused of being part of the gang and have served time for drug dealing. Another, Luke Knight, remained free. All deny involvement in the murder. Matthew White, who died aged 50 in 2021, was named as a sixth suspect.
Stephen’s murder led to the 1999 Macpherson report into racism in the police. The CPS ruled in June that four police officers involved in the botched Met probe would not face any charges.
Stephen’s mum, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, 72, said the decision was a new low for her family.
