The UK Parole Board recently stated that David Norris, one of the murderers of Stephen Lawrence, now admits to participating in the attack on the black teenager. Previously, Norris had consistently denied involvement in the racist attack. In 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence, who was stabbed to death in Eltham, south London, by a group of young white men.
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03-26, 2025The Parole Board issued a decision on Thursday that Norris's parole hearing should be held in public. He became eligible for parole last December after serving his minimum sentence. The Parole Board's report stated: "Recent reports indicate that he now accepts that he was present at the scene and struck the victim, although he claims he did not wield a knife. He also does not admit to holding racist views." The Parole Board did not specify the precise nature of these reports.
Norris and Gary Dobson were two of the original five main suspects who were convicted under the principle of joint enterprise. This principle allows individuals to be convicted of murder even if they did not inflict the fatal blow. The Metropolitan Police has always maintained that six people were involved in the attack on Stephen. The other three main suspects—Luke Knight and brothers Neil Acourt and Jamie Acourt—have never been convicted of murder and have consistently denied involvement. The sixth suspect, Matthew White, died in 2021, and the BBC publicly named him as a suspect for the first time two years prior.
Norris had previously never admitted to any official body or inquiry his role in the murder. After being arrested for the murder at the age of 16 in 1993, he maintained "no comment" during questioning. In 1997, he refused to answer questions at Stephen's inquest. In 1998, he attended the public inquiry into the murder but could not be directly questioned about the attack. The following year, he gave a television interview to ITV, denying involvement in the murder. Norris opposed holding his parole hearing in public, but the Parole Board rejected his request, as Stephen's family wanted the hearing to be public.
Parole Board Vice-Chairman Peter Rook said he had "concluded that it is in the interests of justice to hold a public hearing in this case." He added: "The compelling factors in support of a public hearing outweigh the points raised by Mr. Norris." The date of the hearing is expected to be set later this year. If Norris is released on parole, he could be sent back to prison at any time for the rest of his life for breaching the terms of his release.
