Stephen Lawrence’s mother calls son’s killer a coward at parole hearing | Stephen Lawrence

Stephen Lawrence’s mother has said one of her son’s killers was a coward after he refused to show his face or name his accomplices in the murder at his parole hearing.

David Norris, 49, who was convicted in 2011, spoke publicly for the first time at the trial. He said he was deeply sorry for the attack, in which he punched Lawrence in the back of the head while he was crouched on the ground.

However, he refused to give the names of the four or five attackers who were with him on the night of April 22, 1993. It is the first time he has appeared at a parole board hearing, which was video-streamed to a room in the crown court.

At Wednesday’s public hearing, Doreen Lawrence, 72, said: “The only person he feels 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 exactly what he did and why he did it.”

The two-day hearings were held in public, but the last day will be closed on Friday. Lawrence also spoke outside court, saying it was “incredibly painful” to listen to the hearing but that it was vital it was held in public.

“He says he’s sorry for the pain he’s caused me and my family, but I don’t believe him,” he said.

All but one of the witnesses at the trial said they did not believe Norris was ready to be released. Lawrence said: “To me the evidence is very clear. It is unsafe for him to be released. He is a danger to the public and to people like me. He was a violent racist and still is a violent racist. He hasn’t changed.”

Norris admitted to being involved in Lawrence’s murder in a confession to a Catholic priest in 2018. Doreen Lawrence called for the Metropolitan police to investigate urgently after saying she would not name others involved in the murder because she feared for the safety of her family.

“This person can name other murderers and says he wants to do it,” he said. “The police must do everything they can to obtain this evidence and bring all of Stephen’s killers to justice. This man owes me the truth and the Met owes me justice.”

Before Norris was questioned Tuesday, he read a statement in which he said he wanted to “express my genuine regret for the death of the victim in my case.”

“I will go to my grave with that guilt in my heart,” he said, adding that the “events of that night 32 years ago should never have happened”.

Matt Ward, the Met’s assistant commissioner, said: “Officers are monitoring David Norris’ parole hearing closely and we remain committed to ensuring that anyone responsible for Stephen’s murder is arrested, prosecuted and convicted.

“We have commissioned the College of Policing to review investigations into the murder of Stephen Lawrence since October 2013. The review is being conducted independently of the Metropolitan police and we give it our full support and support.”