Lawrence murderers given light sentences

Violent and racist thugs David Norris and Gary Dobson were spared much harsher sentences due only to the fact that both men were aged 16 and 17 at the time of the murder of Stephen Lawrence back in 1993. The Judge gave them the maximum sentences he could under the rule of law, but the mother of Stephen, Doreen Lawrence, aired her disappointment at the low sentences outside the Old Bailey.

Earlier on today at OBV’s offices, campaigners such Civil Rights icon Rev Jesse Jackson argued the injustice of waiting nearly 20 years would be compounded by a prison tariff that did not fit this savage crime. Also speaking at this morning's press conference, OBV founder Lee Jasper stated as free men for the last 20 years, these individuals had shown 'no remorse'. Jasper argued that 'they may have been teenagers then but today they are adults who have continued to lie and cheat about their heinous crime and therefore be sentenced as adults'.

The Judge handed down minimum sentences of 14 and 15 years respectively which probably would have doubled if they were not teenagers when they committed the crime.

Two other key points came out of today's meeting. First, a call to the public, particularly the people of Eltham, who, as Rev Jesse Jackson described, had protected the other murderers from facing justice. And secondly, an urgent call to the Government to once again begin the process of tackling persistent race inequality by starting with writing and implementing a race equality strategy.

Simon Woolley