Stephen Lawrence Killer Drops Bombshell Claim About Night of Murder

One of Stephen Lawrence’s killers is now set to have his parole hearing held in public – and it’s already causing shockwaves. David Norris, now 48, was one of just two men ever jailed for the brutal racist murder of the 18-year-old, and his minimum sentence ran out back in December. He’s now being considered for release on licence.

Norris, who along with Gary Dobson was convicted in 2012 nearly two decades after the attack, had always denied being involved. But now, according to the Parole Board, he’s apparently changed his story.

“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,” said Peter Rook KC, vice chair of the Parole Board. “He does not accept he holds racist views.”

Stephen Lawrence was waiting at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London, in April 1993 when he was set upon by a gang of white youths in an unprovoked attack. The murder shocked the country and led to years of campaigning by Stephen’s family, as well as a damning inquiry into the institutional racism within the police.

Now, more than 30 years later, the man who’s spent over a decade behind bars for his part in that killing is arguing for his release — while still refusing to fully accept responsibility.

The Parole Board also revealed that Norris has been diagnosed with PTSD, reportedly linked to assaults he’s suffered during his time in prison. His lawyers argued against holding the hearing in public, claiming it would put him at greater risk and add to his emotional distress.

They also said he wouldn’t be able to give his “best evidence” if the hearing wasn’t kept private, and insisted there was “no good reason” to break with normal protocol.

But the board didn’t agree. The media request to open up the hearing — which had the backing of Stephen Lawrence’s parents — has now been granted. Mr Rook said the public interest in the case, which remains incredibly high due to the scale of police failings and racism exposed in the 1999 Macpherson report, outweighed the concerns raised by Norris’s legal team.

As the hearing approaches, emotions are likely to run high — and with Norris now changing parts of his story, there will be serious questions about whether he’s truly taken responsibility, or simply saying what he thinks might help him walk free.