The most well known racist murder of the last Century has finally seen closure for the family of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager, who was stabbed to death in 1993. There then followed a number of Police bungles which allowed the killers to remain free for the past 18 years. Stephen Lawrence’s parents, Doreen and Neville, who were both present when the verdict was delivered, wept in court as the verdict of the racist murder was delivered.
Today a jury at the Old Bailey finally delivered their verdict to find Gary Dobson and David Norris guilty of the racist murder. The retrial of the pair was supported this time by forensic evidence of tiny specks of blood found on the clothing recovered from them at the time, in 1993.
Stephen Lawrence’s murder created a sea change in the attitudes within public services after Sir William McPherson published a report into issues arising out of the Police investigation that followed the incident. In 2006,
Acting Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, ordered the cold case review that finally led to the convictions. After the verdict she said the case had been extremely important for the Lawrence family, the Metropolitan Police and society at large.
Chief Executive of Swansea Bay REC, Mr Taha Idris, OBE, JP expressed his satisfaction at the conclusion of a sad affair that lasted for 18 years before being finalised by the justice system. He felt that it was because of the hard work put in by the Lawrence family and others interested in justice being done that made this conclusion possible.
