LONDON – Two men are to face trial over the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence following an appeal court ruling, police said yesterday.
Gary Dobson (35) and David Norris (34) were arrested and charged last September with murdering Mr Lawrence, who was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London, in 1993.
The arrests could not be reported until now because of legal restrictions, the Press Association said.
Mr Dobson was acquitted of Mr Lawrence’s murder in 1996 after a private prosecution brought by the Lawrence family collapsed.
The appeal court yesterday ordered a retrial after quashing Mr Dobson’s acquittal on the basis of new evidence submitted by prosecutors.
Announcing the decision the Lord chief justice, Lord Judge, said: “After conducting a detailed examination of a large body of evidence, we have come to the conclusion that there is sufficient reliable and substantial new evidence to justify the quashing of the acquittal and to order a new trial.”
“The murder of Stephen Lawrence, a young black man of great promise, targeted and killed by a group of white youths just because of the colour of his skin, was indeed a calamitous crime,” the appeal judges said.
The case sparked a public outcry after police failed to prosecute the suspected killers and a damning report later accused officers of incompetence and “institutional racism”.
Mr Lawrence’s mother, Doreen, said she was “really pleased” by the latest judgment. “It has been a long time in coming, but we still have a long way to go. All I can think about is Stephen and that perhaps, somewhere down the line, we will finally get justice for him,” she said outside the court.
Mr Lawrence’s father, Neville, was “relieved and delighted” by the court’s decision, his lawyer said. “He has waited 18 years for a full trial in relation to the murder of his son and he continues to hope for justice,” he added.
– (Reuters/PA)