The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has called for his killer to “look her in the eye” and tell her the “full story” of the racist attack.
Doreen Lawrence said it was “incredibly painful” watching David Norris, 49, finally admit his role in her son’s horrific murder during a two-day public parole hearing.
The killer, who had his back to the camera as he gave evidence from prison, told the hearing he was “deeply sorry” for the 1993 attack, but refused to name his accomplices because it would put him and his family at risk.
Baroness Lawrence said he was a “coward”, adding: “He didn’t show his face. He needs to look me in the eye and tell me exactly what he did and why he did it.”
In a statement outside the hearing, she continued: “It has been numbing and incredibly frustrating to sit and listen to him describe the murder of my son. But he is not telling the truth.
“He was and remains a liar. Only if he tells the full truth can anyone, including me, start to think he is truly sorry.”
Only two of Mr Lawrence’s five or six alleged attackers have ever faced justice. Norris was jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years, along with Gary Dobson, who must serve a minimum of 15 years, in a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence in 2012.
Baroness Lawrence called for the Metropolitan Police to “urgently investigate” after Norris confirmed in the hearing that he knows the names of the aspiring architect’s other killers.
“This person can name the other killers and says he would love to do so,” she added. “The police must do everything in their power to obtain that evidence and bring all of Stephen’s murderers to justice.
“This man owes me the truth and the Met owe me justice. The police now have no excuse not to act.”
It comes after a prison psychologist told the hearing that Norris is an “unreliable narrator” who is not ready to be released.
He said there were inconsistencies in the evidence Norris gave to the panel, adding: “I think hearing the evidence was quite confusing – sometimes admitting some things, sometimes going back on that and sometimes being confused around dates.”
He added he did not know if that was due to the pressure of the hearing or because he was being “cautious” in a public forum, but noted: “He clearly wants to be careful what he admits to.”
The prison-appointed expert, who cannot be identified, said that while Norris has made “some progress”, he does not believe he has met the test for release or to be moved to open conditions.
The psychologist noted Norris had admitted to him during nine hours of assessment that he had used racially disrespectful language in an incident with another prisoner in 2017.
However, giving evidence to the panel, Norris said he can’t remember using the offensive term towards a Muslim inmate.
He added that Norris has a lack of racial awareness and is more likely to use racist language during times of mental ill health or frustration.
However, the psychologist said he believed the remorse shown by Norris was “genuine” and had pre-dated his parole hearing.
A second psychologist, appointed by Norris, disagreed and argued that the killer does meet the test for release or being moved to open conditions.
She noted he had spent 19 years in the community before he was convicted, during which time he was not charged with any other crimes.
She agreed there was some “confusion in the narrative” in Norris’ evidence to the parole panel, adding: “I do think it’s a combination of it being a public hearing, this is also Mr Norris’s first hearing.
“I think he’s not typically someone who would communicate himself in the most eloquent way.”
She also claimed his history of violence was not all racially motivated and also included “football violence” and “postcode violence”, suggesting his racist attitudes were likely amplified in a group context.
Yesterday, Norris said he was a “horrible, violent, racist” 16-year-old at the time of the murder as he publicly admitted his role for the first time.
He said he was caught up in a “gang mentality” as he described punching the aspiring architect, 18, as he was crouched on the ground.
Norris told the hearing there were five individuals involved in the murder, but said his family would be “at risk” if he named the other killers. He claimed he did not see the 22cm blade which inflicted the fatal blows until they fled the scene.
The group never spoke about the incident except to say “be careful of what you say from here on in, and it was never spoken about again,” Norris told the hearing.
He insisted there is “no group loyalty” or “criminal code” preventing him from naming his accomplices, adding: “There is one reason and one reason only, because I’m worried about the safety of my family.”
However, Lawrence’s grieving mother told the panel he was an “obvious danger to society” and should not be released.
Baroness Lawrence reminded the hearing of a shocking covert police recording of Norris and Dobson from 1994, known as the Footscray tapes, in which Norris discussed how he would “kill every black c***” he knows.
“Any person who expresses views like this and doesn’t recant is an obvious danger to society and must remain in custody,” she added.
Lawrence’s father, Dr Neville Lawrence, said “justice has not been done” if Norris is released without naming the other members of the gang.
Norris was moved back up to category B prison after he was caught with mobile phones and a screwdriver in 2022.
The hearing will continue in private on Friday and the Parole Board will then publish its decision within 14 days.
