Stephen Lawrence's mum brands David Norris 'dangerous racist who has not changed'

The mother of Stephen Lawrence has branded one of his killers a "coward" for refusing to show his face at his parole hearing or name the other murderers.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence was speaking after watching the video stream ofDavid Norris' bid for freedom over the last two days at the Royal Courts of Justice. Norris refused to face the camera when he gave evidence and repeatedly declined to name the other four or five attackers who were there on the night.

Lady Lawrence said outside of the court: "He says he's sorry for the pain he has caused me and my family. I didn't believe him. The only person he is sorry for is himself. As far as I'm concerned he's a coward. He refused to show his face. He needs to look me in the eye and tell me what he did and why he did it."

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Norris, 49, was convicted of Stephen's racist murder at the Old Bailey in 2011 and jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years and three months in January 2012. His minimum sentence expired in December 2024, and this is the first time that he has been considered for release.

On Tuesday, Norris was repeatedly asked who he was with on the night of Stephen's murder in 1993, but refused to name the other culprits, saying he feared for his family's safety. He also denied using racist and abusive language while in prison. Norris was said to have said "n*****" in October 2022, and referred to a prison nurse as a "horrible c***" the same year.

Filmed from behind, Norris was allowed to read a statement before being questioned. He said he wanted to "express my genuine remorse" for Stephen's death. He said: "I will go to my grave with that guilt in my heart."

It also emerged during the hearing that Norris first admitted his part in the murder in 2018 Lady Lawrence, 72, said on Wednesday that it had been "incredibly painful" to listen to her son's killer, who she called "this person".

She said: "He's a racist who, with others, murdered my son Stephen. I will not name him. It was vital that this hearing took place in public so everyone could see and hear what was said by him. The evidence to me is crystal clear, he's not safe to be released, he's a danger to the public and a danger to people like me.

"He was a violent racist and is still a violent racist, he has not changed. It has been numbing and incredibly frustrating to sit and listen to him describe the murder of my son but he's not telling the truth. He was, and remains, a liar. Only if he tells the full truth can anyone, including me, start to think he's sorry. If he was truly sorry he would tell us the whole truth and I was hoping and believing that might happen over the last two days.

"It has added to the pain and hurt that I still feel that he has not done so. This man only feels sorry for himself and he is just saying things which he thinks will get him released. He is trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. The parole board should not fall for his lies and deception.

"It is deeply shocking that police and the authorities have known for years that he now accepts being part of the attack on my son. The Met Police stopped investigating Stephen's murder five years ago and have done nothing since despite everything that has been revealed in that time.

"The police must now urgently investigate. This person can name the other killers and says he would love to do so. The police must do everything in its power to obtain the evidence and bring all of Stephen's murderers to justice. This man owes me the truth and the Met owes me justice."

Giving evidence to the hearing on Wednesday, a jail psychologist said Norris had taken part in Black History Month and had mixed well with non-white prisoners. But the psychologist admitted that Norris, visible only from behind wearing a grey long-sleeved top and using a hearing loop, was: "Not the most reliable narrator of his own life for whatever reason."

He added: "Hearing the evidence it was quite confusing, as to sometimes admitting something, sometimes going back on that, being confused around dates." The witness went on: "I think sometimes he has good memory, good detail for certain things, other times less so... He's obviously very careful about what he wants to admit to."

Norris has been in his current prison for around two years, and works in the servery, where food is prepared and distributed, the hearing was told. He broke prison rules to get two mobile phones while behind bars, and messaged family and friends about when he would be released.

The witness said someone can still feel remorse but "lapse" in certain situations. A psychologist instructed for Norris then told the hearing that she believes he is ready for release. She said: "For me he meets the test, for others he's not quite there yet.

Norris was moved back up to category B from C after he was caught with mobile phones and a screwdriver against prison rules. His community offender manager told the hearing that intelligence had previously suggested that Norris had a £20,000 bounty on his head.

She said it was her assessment that Norris should remain in closed conditions until he is tested at the lower level of security. She added: "He really wants to be released, that's really important to him."

The offender manager said she did not have confidence in him working with police after he refused to help prosecutors after he was attacked in prison. She said: "That isn't something that will come naturally to him, he doesn't have experience of working with the police."

Brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were accused of being in the gang that killed Stephen and have served time for drug dealing. Another, Luke Knight, remained free. All deny involvement. Norris admitted his gangster father Clifford was linked to the Acourt family.

Norris' minimum jail term expired last December and this is the first time he has been considered for release. The hearing was streamed from Exeter prison.

It continues in public today and will be held in private on Friday to decide whether Norris should be freed, moved to an open prison or kept inside. A decision is expected by the end of the month. The Justice Secretary opposes his release.