Lawrence Murderers To Be Sentenced As Juveniles

The men convicted of the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence 18 years ago are to be sentenced as juveniles after being convicted on Tuesday afternoon.

An Old Bailey jury found Gary Dobson and David Norris guilty during the high profile case that has led to a number of legal precedents.

The pair were convicted on the strength of DNA and forensic evidence after threads and minute blood stains were found on their clothing and linked to their teenage victim.

Both will be sentenced as juveniles as they were under 18 at the time of the attack, which happened in south-east London in April 1993.

Dobson, 36, and Norris, 35, are expected to receive reduced sentences compared to an adult convicted of the same crime, but are still facing minimum prison terms of around 12 years each.

Police said the investigation in Stephen Lawrence's killing at the hands of a racist gang could be reopened to include other known members of the gang if further evidence is found.

Meanwhile, responding to the convictions, Labour Leader Ed Miliband said he hoped the guilty verdict would help bring closure for the Lawrence family, who have campaigned relentlessly for a conviction over their son's murder since his death.

“The murder of Stephen Lawrence was not only a tragedy for a talented young man and his family, it was a wake up call to all of us who believe Britain is - and always must be - a country where everyone is shown respect irrespective of race, culture or faith," Mr Miliband said.

He added: “I am proud that 18 years on from Stephen’s murder, Britain is a much more tolerant and open country. We have new laws to prevent the stirring of racial hatred, while following the Macpherson Report, reforms were made to ensure that our public institutions are better representative and responsive to all the people.

“But we must never allow ourselves to become complacent about the threat of racism."

(DW)