guardian.co.uk,
Sandra Laville and Vikram Dodd, Tuesday 3 January 2012
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| Doreen and Neville Lawrence leave the Old Bailey after Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of murdering their son Stephen. Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Features |
The mother
of Stephen Lawrence accused the police of putting her through 18 years of grief
and uncertainty after witnessing the conviction of two of her son's killers for
his racist murder nearly a generation ago.
Outside a
grey and rainswept central criminal court in London, to cheers from members of
the public and campaigners, Doreen Lawrence said she could not celebrate; all
she felt was relief that at last "some sort of justice" had been
done, with the jury's unanimous guilty verdicts on Gary Dobson, 36, and David
Norris, 35.
"How
can I celebrate when I know that this day could have come 18 years ago if the
police, who were meant to find my son's killers, had not failed so miserably to
do so?"
Alongside
her but speaking separately, Stephen's father, Neville, thanked the police and
prosecutors and did express joy at the convictions. But he qualified his words
saying that five or six men had been responsible for his son's death on 22
April 1993. "I don't think I will be able to rest until they are all
brought to justice," he said.
The
high-profile status of the Lawrence killing; its highlighting of racism,
incompetence and an apparent vein of corruption in the Metropolitan police, and
the way the aftermath of the murder radically changed the face of policing, the
law and politics was reflected within minutes of the jury foreman pronouncing
the "guilty" verdicts in court 16.
David
Cameron issued a statement praising the Lawrence family for fighting
"tirelessly" for justice. "Today's verdict cannot ease the pain
of losing a son. But, for Doreen and Neville Lawrence, I hope that it brings at
least some comfort after their years of struggle," he said.
But while
the Lawrences hope to see others brought to justice, seven police
investigations costing more than £30m and the latest groundbreaking work by
forensic scientists have failed to unearth any new evidence against the Acourt
brothers, Neil and Jamie, and Luke Knight – the three remaining prime suspects
for the killing.
A police
source said officers would now visit Dobson and Norris in prison to see if they
would end their 18-year pact of silence. "We will work on their anger, and
see if we persuade them that while they face long sentences the others are
free," said the source.
It took
just a few seconds for the jury foreman to pass judgment on the cutting-edge
scientific evidence presented by the crown against Dobson and Norris after
years of humiliating failures by the Metropolitan police.
One spot of
the dead teenager's blood, a few fibres and two microscopic hairs brought
Dobson and Norris – who became suspects within hours of the murder in 1993 – to
justice. They will be sentenced on Wednesday. The blood found on the collar of
Dobson's jacket was the smallest spot scientists have ever used in a criminal
prosecution.
Dobson –
who becomes one of only six people ever to be tried twice for the same offence
– shook his head vigorously as at 2.55pm the foreman pronounced he was guilty
of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Norris gave no reaction to the same verdict.
Mr Justice Treacy had ordered the court to remain quiet. "I recognise that
this is a time of emotion for many people in court," he said. "I would
ask those people to respect the dignity of the courtroom and the feelings of
other people. The verdicts in this case will be received in complete
silence."
He
choreographed a break in proceedings after the verdicts were announced to
prevent uproar in court. But when he sent the defendants down to the cells for
the 10-minute adjournment, the emotions he had tried to contain spilled over.
As his
mother, Pauline, began sobbing in the public gallery above him, Dobson looked
from the dock to the jury. "You have condemned an innocent man," he
said as he was led away. "I hope you can all live with it."
Above him,
his family were urged to take some air, but Pauline Dobson could be heard
sobbing loudly and shouting: "This is so wrong. He didn't kill that man, he
is innocent."
Below her
the composure of Doreen Lawrence – which she had maintained throughout the
seven-week trial – began to crack. She cried while her son, Stuart, whispered
words of comfort to her.
A few feet
away Neville Lawrence was openly weeping. Later as the defendants were led away
for the day, Dobson shouted to his family: "Stay strong, I love you, don't
worry."
While they
replied: "We love you Gal, we will fight to the death."
After years
of dashed hopes and police failures the pursuit of the much-criticised
Metropolitan police produced the evidence the family had been waiting for in
2007. A full forensic review of all the evidence unearthed a microscopic spot
of Lawrence's blood in the collar of the jacket seized from Dobson's house. In
addition 16 fibres from Lawrence's clothes were found on the jacket and the
evidence bag it was held in.
Norris was
linked to the scene by a microscopic hair matching the familial DNA of Lawrence
and seven fibres from the dead boy's clothes. The defence counsel argued that
the evidence was a result of contamination of the exhibits over 18 years. But
the jury took just over eight hours to reject this and pronounce guilty
verdicts.
The case
was one of the most notorious unsolved murders in Britain. The 18-year fight
for justice by Lawrence's parents led to a public inquiry which uncovered
blunders by the Metropolitan police, blamed on institutional racism, which
allowed his killers to escape justice.
Lawrence,
18, was murdered on 22 April 1993, as he and a friend waited for a bus in
Eltham, south-east London.
They were
attacked by a group of five to six white youths who shouted: "What, what,
nigger?" and then rushed towards them, engulfing him by the weight of
their number and stabbing him twice in the upper torso.
He ran 300
yards before collapsing and dying.
The former
home secretary Jack Straw, who had ordered the public inquiry into the killing
and the Metropolitan police's response to it, praised the Lawrences'
campaigning work. "Things have improved dramatically and that is down to
the extraordinary courage and determination which Neville and Doreen Lawrence
showed in keeping alive the case for justice for their murdered son Stephen and
for getting on for 19 years they couldn't get anyone convicted for the
murder."
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| The Metropolitan police had the most convictions among their officers. Photograph: Arthur Turner/Alamy |
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