Stephen Lawrence killer David Norris denied parole for ‘protection of public’ after racist murder

One of Stephen Lawrence’s racist killers has been refused parole for the continued protection of the public.

David Norris had claimed he was “deeply sorry” for his part in the notorious 1993 murder as he made a bid for freedom in a public parole hearing in October.

The killer, now 49, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years and three months in January 2012, a term that expired in December 2024.

He told the Parole Board he was “disgusted and ashamed with himself” for taking part in the horrific attack, but refused to name his accomplices, claiming he and his family would be “at risk” if he divulged details of the others involved.

He would not even confirm the involvement of his co-defendant, Gary Dobson, who was also jailed for murder in 2012.

Speaking publicly for the first time about his role, he said he was caught up in a “gang mentality” as he described punching the aspiring architect, 18, as he was crouched on the ground.

However, in a decision published today, the Parole Board refused his release. They also said he should not be moved to open conditions.

They concluded: “The panel is not satisfied that there is no more than a minimal risk of Mr Norris committing a further offence that would cause serious harm.

“It therefore continues to be necessary for the protection of the public that he remains confined. Consequently, his release is not directed.”

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The panel said that, although Norris now accepted he had been racist, there were still times when he “minimised” this. The panel found “it could not be confident that Mr Norris had not just made admissions in an attempt to try to secure progression rather than genuine acceptance”.

Following the hearing, Mr Lawrence’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, branded Norris a coward and called on the Metropolitan Police to do everything in its power to get the names of the other gang members involved in her son’s murder.

She said: “This man owes me the truth and the Met owe me justice.”

Only two of Mr Lawrence’s five or six alleged attackers have ever faced justice after Norris was jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years, along with Gary Dobson, who must serve a minimum of 15 years, in a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence in 2012.

At the Parole Board hearing, which was live-streamed from prison to the Royal Courts of Justice, Norris had his back to the camera.

In a prepared statement at the start of his evidence, he apologised to the Lawrence family and the black community.

“The guilt I have carried around all these years has been a very heavy burden upon my shoulders,” he said, adding Mr Lawrence was “completely innocent”.

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He admitted he was a “horrible, violent, racist” 16-year-old who was “fixated on becoming a gangster” when the group targeted Mr Lawrence and his friend Duwayne Brooks in Eltham, southeast London.

Asked who else was with him on the night of the murder, he said: “I am not here to discuss other people, I am here to take responsibility for my part in what happened, my actions.”

He later added: “In an ideal world, I could tell [Stephen’s family] the whole truth of my part and others.

“I can’t give them everything they wish as it would pose a risk to me and my family.”

None of the prison workers who gave evidence to the parole board panel supported his release, instead saying he should be moved to a lower category jail.

Norris was moved back up to a category B prison after he was caught with two mobile phones and a screwdriver in his cell in 2022.

Only one witness found that he was ready for release, an independent psychologist instructed on behalf of Norris.

The hearing was told that while behind bars, he had called a female nurse “a horrible c***” and become involved in clashes with Muslim prisoners.