David Norris, one of two men convicted for the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, has been denied parole after the Parole Board ruled he remains a danger. Norris, now 49, had sought release or a move to an open prison 13 years into his life sentence, but the board found evidence of continued racist attitudes and misconduct in prison.
Norris had previously denied involvement in the 1993 murder, but during his parole hearing he admitted punching Lawrence and being present at the scene, claiming he saw a friend with a knife afterward. He refused to name the person he believes was the actual killer, prompting Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, to call on the police to interview him to identify the other perpetrators.
The Parole Board noted that Norris had a history of racist abuse in prison, including targeting black and Muslim inmates, and was suspected of grooming a young inmate into racist ideology. Despite claiming to have reformed and converted to Buddhism in 2019, the board concluded that his racist behaviour persisted long after the murder.
Doreen Lawrence described the parole application as a “gross manipulation of the process” and said Norris remains “a dangerous racist who should never be let out of prison.” Stephen's father, Neville Lawrence, urged Norris to reveal the truth about the other murderers. The Metropolitan Police said it remains committed to bringing all those responsible for Stephen's murder to justice.
