Gary Dobson, one of the killers of Stephen Lawrence, is facing an application for his parole hearing to be held in public as he bids for release.
Dobson, 51, is seeking release 14 years after being jailed for life for the racist murder of 18-year-old Stephen at a bus stop in Eltham, South East London, in 1993. A government spokesperson said: "The Parole Board received an application from Margaret Davis for the Parole Board hearing in the case of Gary Dobson to be heard in public."
Public Hearing Application
According to the parole board, Ms Davis is arguing that the hearing should be held in public due to the crime being a racially motivated murder "of significant public interest". She claims Dobson "has not provided an honest public account of his role in the offence and a public hearing would aid public understanding of the case itself and the parole system."
She added: "A public hearing would allow key evidence to be heard openly, including evidence relating to progress made in custody and its relevance to release considerations."
Addressing concerns about Dobson's safety, Ms Davis argued: "Similar safety measures that were in place for his co-defendant’s public hearing could be implemented here. Consideration may need to be given to whether the prisoner accepts responsibility for the offence and the relevance of this to risk and release decisions."
She added: "The case raises issues of public importance due to the unique legal circumstances in which the original acquittal was overturned, enabling a subsequent prosecution and conviction."
Release Eligibility
Dobson was sentenced to life in January 2012 and ordered to serve a minimum term of 15 years and two months, meaning he will soon be eligible for release if parole chiefs see fit to grant his wish. No date has been set as yet for a hearing.
In October, Stephen's dad Neville, 84, slammed his son's killer’s bid for freedom, claiming he is still a danger and should stay in jail. Fellow murderer David Norris, 50, who was jailed at the same time, was denied his "cynical" bid for freedom last year amid fears he may still pose a risk to the public.
Speaking from his home in Jamaica, Mr Lawrence told the Mirror: "They remain a danger to society and they deserve to remain behind bars to protect the public."
Background and Opposition
Mr Lawrence and his ex-wife, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, spent decades fighting for justice after it emerged the Met Police delayed arresting those suspected of killing Stephen, despite having their names within hours of the attack. Following a public inquiry, the Macpherson Report branded the Met institutionally racist.
Dobson, who has never publicly admitted his part in the attack, had an application to be moved to open prison rejected two years ago. But the fact he has qualified for a pre-tariff review indicates he is seen to have made progress during his sentence.
On the night of Stephen’s murder, Dobson told police that he visited the home of brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, where he was told about the killing by another man, Matthew White. He was convicted after Stephen’s blood was found on his jacket. Prisoners do not have to admit their crimes to be released but denials make it less likely.
The Acourts were both initially treated as suspects. They have not been convicted and deny any part in Stephen’s death. In October, Mr Lawrence added: "As I did with the other person jailed for Stephen’s murder, I will oppose this individual’s release. He has never shown any remorse; never named the people who were with him.
"Now he wants to be freed to live with his family and get on with his life – things he prevented my son from ever having the chance to do. I want to know if he has any remorse for what he did. If he is freed, is he going to live an ordinary life and not commit further crime. My message to him is, ‘Say who was with you when you killed my son’."
A parole board spokesman said anyone wishing to submit representations on Dobson's public parole application must do so by 5pm on Friday November 20.
