Gary Dobson, one of the two men convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, has applied to be released from prison early. The 51-year-old has made his first bid for parole after serving his minimum jail term, it has been confirmed. He was jailed for life in 2012 along with David Norris, 50, for murdering the black teenager over his skin colour.
Dobson was sentenced to life but ordered to serve a minimum term of 15 years, which has now been met, meaning he is eligible for release if the Parole Board sees fit to grant his wish. The Parole Board has confirmed that the case for Gary Dobson has been "referred" to them and is at the "initial assessment stage" with no date set as yet for a hearing.
Case at early stage
A source said: "This will likely be a well publicised case and has always remained in the public domain. It evokes strong feelings to this day, and time does not seem to change that."
"It was a shocking case then and remains so now. The case is at the very start of proceedings, so lots of decisions will need to be made, for example whether it is held in public or private, with a huge number of reports expected to be needed."
Gary Dobson was convicted for the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence, alongside co-defendant David Norris, who has already been denied parole in the past. The pair were found guilty years after the incident, after new scientific evidence was presented at an Old Bailey retrial, including a stain on Dobson's jacket which matched Stephen's blood.
Background of the murder
18-year-old black student Stephen Lawrence was murdered after being started on by a group of white youths, ending with him being stabbed near a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. Last year, Norris admitted he was part of the attack on the teenager but refused to name the other killers. Dobson has never come out and admitted that he took part in the attack.
A source continued: "His refusal to publicly accept responsibility will no doubt be brought up in the parole hearing. A refusal to take blame and take responsibility and show remorse will likely not work in his favour."
It is thought that any bid for freedom is set to be opposed by Stephen's parents, Baroness Lawrence and her former husband Neville Lawrence, who have long campaigned for justice for their boy.
Parole process and opposition
A spokesman for the Parole Board said: "We can confirm the parole review of Gary Dobson has been referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and is following standard processes."
"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community."
Co-killer Norris launched his own parole bid in 2025, which was heard in a public case and was denied by the board. They are the only two to be convicted for the murder. Baroness Lawrence and Mr Lawrence opposed Norris's parole. She said Norris remained 'a dangerous racist who should never be let out of prison'.
After years of denials of being involved, Norris admitted punching Stephen as he tried to run away but refused to name anyone else involved in the stabbing, saying he was concerned about the safety of his family if he were to spill the beans. During the parole process, experts will look into Dobson's full case, his behaviour behind bars as well as his remorse, and current mindset.
Speaking earlier this year, the grieving parents said they were expecting another parole attempt, which has now happened. Mr Lawrence said then: "We are waiting to hear because I'm sure he's going to try to get parole as well. But no matter what they try to do, there's always ways to make it harder."
