David Norris, one of the men convicted of murdering Stephen Lawrence, confronted Hashem Abedi, the Manchester Arena bomber's brother, during a heated row in Belmarsh Prison, according to a new report. The encounter was detailed in documents released by the Parole Board after Norris was refused release last week.
The report stated that Norris, 49, admitted shouting at Abedi, 28, when "life got too much one day". He said he called the prisoner a terrorist and swore at him, but denied using a racial slur. Norris claimed he had been raising money for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing at the time, and added that terrorism has always riled him, going back to the IRA. He accepted it was "not his place to be dishing out justice".
Abedi, who helped his brother Salman plan the attack that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 55 years in 2020. He was transferred from Belmarsh after attacking a guard, and is set to face trial in 2026 over allegations he tried to murder three prison officers at HMP Frankland.
Norris was refused parole amid concerns that he only expressed remorse for Stephen Lawrence's murder to secure his freedom. His own offender manager admitted it was possible he had done so purely to improve his chances of release. Panel members also considered a series of racist incidents while in jail, including throwing excrement at Muslim prisoners, using racial slurs, and telling his daughter he did not want black grandchildren.
The panel also highlighted security concerns regarding Norris's racism and allegations of violence. It found a "serious possibility" he had committed other knife attacks, including the attempted murder of Stacey Benefield in 1993, of which he was acquitted, and another slashing attack for which he was never charged.
Norris, who converted to Buddhism in 2019, admitted punching Stephen "two or three times" after the teenager was stabbed and had dropped to his knees. He was jailed for at least 14 years in 2012 alongside Gary Dobson, both aged 16 at the time of the racially motivated murder in Eltham in April 1993.
