Stephen Lawrence killer David Norris denied parole

David Norris, who murdered Stephen Lawrence, has been denied parole, the BBC understands.

He sought release during a parole hearing in October, having been jailed in 2012.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death in a racist attack in south London in 1993.

Only two of his killers have been convicted, with police always saying six people were involved.

At the parole hearing, Norris admitted he was part of the attack but refused to name the other killers. He had previously denied involvement.

Norris gave evidence via a video link from prison during the public hearing, in which he was bidding for release on licence.

Stephen's mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, said at the hearing that Norris remained a danger to the public and must remain in prison. The justice secretary also opposed Norris's release.

The hearing took place 13 years after Norris was jailed for life, with a minimum sentence of 14 years and three months.

Stephen was stabbed to death by a gang as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London. Only Norris and one other killer, Gary Dobson, have been convicted.

The Met's failures to properly investigate the five prime suspects in the case became notorious and led to the force being branded "institutionally racist" by a landmark public inquiry.

Witness evidence in the case records that an extreme racist slur was used towards Stephen just before the gang attacked.

In his evidence to the parole hearing, Norris said he was the last person to punch Stephen. He had tried to hit him two or three times and one of his punches connected.

For decades Norris publicly denied involvement in the murder, giving no-comment interviews to police, and claiming he was innocent during his trial.

However, the hearing heard confirmation that he had admitted involvement since being in prison, but denies stabbing Stephen or using a knife.

It also heard Norris continued to use racist language in prison, with him having been recorded in 2022 using the same racial slur that was hurled at Stephen before he was stabbed.

In a prepared statement that Norris read out, he apologised to the Lawrence family and wider black and ethnic community for the "fear" and "horror" his role in the attack had caused.

In a statement read on her behalf at the hearing, Baroness Lawrence said Norris had "killed my son in the most brutal and callous fashion. In doing so he changed my life and life of my family members forever".

She said she could not forgive Norris because he has not "expressed any acceptance, any contrition and certainly has no humanity".

Stephen's father previously told the BBC that Norris should name the other killers before he could be judged to be safe for release from prison.

The Met Police ended its murder investigation in 2020, but a BBC investigation led to an independent review of the case, which began in September.