It is Britain’s most famous unsolved murder and continues to be a blot on the social conscience of the country. Mark Daly, The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence, BBC 2006
The original police investigation was hampered by a corrupt senior detective. ibid.
Despite the flurry of early tip-offs no arrests were made. ibid.
Weapons linked to the suspects were found in several locations. ibid.
The gang had a remarkable ability to escape conviction. ibid.
A number of officers were criticised; this man – Detective Sergeant John Davidson – was singled out for a stinging rebuke; he had even refused to accept it had been a racist murder. ibid.
Witness B wasn’t the only person to see the gang that night. ibid.
John Davidson is a bent copper. ibid.
The injustice of double jeopardy would come into sharp focus in another very public case: Stephen Lawrence … The inquiry set up after the failure to convict Stephen Lawrence’s killers published a scathing report. Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes that Changed Us II, BBC 2019
Lies, spies, cover-ups and corruption ... sickening extent of Stephen’s betrayal by the police is exposed. Daily Mail 7th March 2014
My son’s been murdered and none of these officers, the justice system, the politicians – nobody cared. Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation I: The Loss of Joy, Doreen, BBC 2018
On 22nd April 1993 Stephen Lawrence was killed near the Well Hall Road roundabout by a gang of white youths. 25 years later his murder is still being investigated. ibid.
All I wanted to do is get Justice for Stephen. ibid. Doreen
I was a very strict mum. He said to me, ‘Mum, you care too much.’ ibid.
You just go through the motion of being there. ibid.
I couldn’t imagine what it was like on her end of the phone. Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation II: The System, Imran Khan, solicitor
May 1993: After numerous tip-offs, the police arrest a gang of white youths. July 1993: The charges against the suspects are dropped. ibid.
It’s the system, the institution, society – the system which Doreen is railing against. ibid. solicitor
Neil Accourt: I think every nigger should be chopped up, mate. ibid. surveillance
We are going to take the case up ourselves, win or lose. ibid.
I was totally consumed with grief. ibid. Neville
It’s anger that’s kept me going so far. ibid. Doreen
Murderers: The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us. ibid. Daily Mail front page
They [police] did nothing to help him. ibid. Doreen
Lawrence: Amazing Trail of Blunders By Police: Inquiry opens with catalogue of errors. ibid. Daily Mail
Inquiry Chairman Accuses ‘Racists’: Lawrence police should ‘stop making excuses’: The police were accused of ‘institutionalised racism’ by the chairman of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry yesterday. ibid. Daily Mail
We let them down. Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation III, rozzer
I didn’t set out to make a difference. We were pushed into a limelight. I didn’t have a choice. ibid. Doreen
Macpherson Report: I remember it as if it was yesterday. A fucking kick in the bollocks for any white man that was. ibid. police recruit
That corrupt detective was John Davidson. ibid. rozzer
Two men have finally been jailed for his murder. ibid.
A public inquiry into the investigation found the Metropolitan Police to be incompetent and institutionally racist. In 2006, thirteen years after their son’s murder, the family were still fighting for justice. Stephen s1e1, captions, ITV 2021
My son’s killers were identified 13 years ago within hours of his murder. Since then there has been three investigations; the law of double jeopardy was changed so that murderers could be retried; and still we’re sitting here with no justice. ibid. dad Neville
Well, they [Lawrence files] were just left there gathering dust. Not right is it? Case like this needs solving. ibid. Coogan
I’ve been through the files, ma’am. It’s a straightforward crime that I think we should be able to solve with a bit of common-sense coppering. ibid.
What is a mystery is why when there were clear grounds for arrest the senior detectives at the time waited two weeks to pick them up. ibid.
When your son has been murdered what does anything mean after that? ibid. Neville
The first investigation described it as a brief attack and that’s haunted us ever since. ibid.
I know we haven’t done much to inspire your confidence over the years but this is my case now. We’ve got a real chance here. The forensics have promised it. Stephen II, rozzer to mum
I can’t even begin to imagine the strength it must take to keep fighting all these years. ibid.
We found Stephen’s blood on Gary Dobson’s jacket. ibid.
The group converged on Steve. When I looked back I saw one of the guys had a weapon ran straight into him. Stephen III, Duwayne’s testimony
Like the judge said, we’ve got three killers still at large. ibid. rozzer
Mark Ellison QC found that the Lawrence family campaign was infiltrated and spied on by undercover police officers. Ellison also found there were reasonable grounds to suspect DS John Davidson of corruption, but no connection was proved between him and Clifford Norris. A National Crime Agency review found no evidence against Davidson. The Met closed the investigation into Stephen’s murder in 2020. The rest of the gang who killed him may now never face justice. ibid. captions
The racist murderers of a teenager have remained free for well over a decade. Could forensic science finally find the clues to bring the killers to justice? Cold Case Forensics: Murder of Stephen Lawrence, ITV 2023
Stephen Lawrence’s murder was a despicable crime that shocked the nation. But the investigation which followed was to cause more pain for the family and bring more shame on Britain’s largest police force. Stephen’s suspected killers remained free. ibid.
Angela and her team now had to explore the idea that there had been greater contact between the attackers and Stephen than first assumed. ibid.
‘An enormous amount of work was done on this particular case.’ ibid. Angela