Two men were convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence at the Old Bailey in London on 3rd January 2012.
The murder of Mr Lawrence took place at Eltham in South London in 1993. Gary Dobson and David Norris, now 36 and 35, were 17 and 16 at the time of the attack. They were accused of being part of the gang which killed Stephen Lawrence in a racially motivated beating.
The decades old case was re-opened after new forensic techniques allowed a re-trial of the men, who had been questioned in earlier investigations. The circumstances of the police investigation at the time led to a judge led enquiry which reached the damning conclusion that London’s Metropolitan Police Force was “institutionally racist”.
The UK’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, commented on the verdict thus:
“In the nineteen years since his murder, Stephen Lawrence’s family has fought 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.”
The two men convicted of the murder have not yet been sentenced.
