Doreen Lawrence slams CPS decision not to charge four retired Met Police detectives accused of misconduct over botched inquiry into her son Stephen’s murder and says she is in ‘immense distress’
- Stephen Lawrence was murdered in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993
Doreen Lawrence has slammed the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to charge detectives involved in the botched initial inquiry into her son Stephen’s murder.
Baroness Lawrence says she has been left in ‘immense distress’ by the fact four former Metropolitan Police officers will not face charges of misconduct in public office over their handling of the initial six weeks of the 1993 investigation.
After considering the case for two-and-a-half years, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ruled yesterday there was insufficient evidence to charge the officers.
All of the former detectives, who have consistently denied any wrongdoing, held senior roles in the first few weeks of the criticised first investigation into the unprovoked racist murder of A-level pupil Stephen in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.
Stephen’s mother Baroness Lawrence, 70, said she was ‘bitterly disappointed’ and vowed to seek a review of the CPS decision.
Doreen Lawrence has slammed the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to charge detectives involved in the botched initial inquiry into her son Stephen’s murder
Mr Lawrence (pictured) was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 as he made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks
She added: ‘Not a single police officer has been disciplined or will be charged. In my opinion, the police have, yet again, got away ‘scot free’.
‘Not a single police officer lost his job, or will lose his pension, or pay a fine or spend a day behind bars whilst I will continue to grieve the loss of my son.
‘This CPS decision has caused me immense distress and little thought has been given to me as a mother who has lost her son. This is a disgrace.’
Stephen Lawrence: The racist murder that marked Britain
Jamie Acourt and his brother Neil were teenagers when Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.
Two of the other suspects, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were convicted of murder in 2012 and jailed for life following a DNA breakthrough.
But the Acourt brothers have never been convicted.
At the time of Stephen’s death, the Acourts described themselves as the Krays, modelling themselves on the brothers who dominated London’s criminal underworld in the 1960s.
The gang they were in is believed to have been responsible for a string of violent attacks, invariably featuring knives.
Luke Knight was named as the fifth suspect by the Daily Mail. He has never been charged and denies being involved.
The case has brought great shame on the Metropolitan Police. Stephen’s parents Doreen and Neville Lawrence have continued to campaign for justice for their son and have shone a light on racism and corruption in the Met.
The decision not to press criminal charges follows a marathon investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), under the management of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The probe looked into why officers in charge of the first inquiry did not make arrests for two weeks, despite police repeatedly being given the names of suspects.
Doreen told ITV News: ‘After 30 years in which there have been countless police investigations, a police complaint and a public inquiry, I thought there might be some hope of holding those police officers who failed me and my son to account.
‘My hope has been in vain. I am bitterly disappointed with the CPS decision not to charge any police officer. I will be seeking a review of it.
‘Everyone knows that the first murder investigation was institutionally racist and yet there is no mention, let alone consideration, of racism in the CPS decision as being the possible reason for the officers acting as they did.
‘Yesterday at London City Hall, Sir Mark Rowley accepted the obvious failings of the police in the first murder investigation but, despite this, not a single police officer has been disciplined or will be charged.
‘In my opinion, the police have, yet again, got away “scot free”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog said it was satisfied a six-year probe by the National Crime Agency under its direction had ‘explored every possible avenue’.
The CPS said it understood its news ‘may be deeply disappointing’ to Stephen’s family.
Announcing the decision not to charge the four ex-officers, Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: ‘Following a referral by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in 2021, the CPS has carefully considered criminal charges against four officers involved in the early stages of the investigation into Stephen’s murder in 1993.
‘Charges of misconduct in public office were considered concerning the four officers’ management of the initial six weeks of the murder investigation.
‘Having meticulously reviewed substantial amounts of available evidence and material in this complex case, we have decided that no criminal charges will be brought against the four suspects.
Two original suspects, Gary Dobson (left) and David Norris (right), were convicted of murdering Stephen in 2012 and jailed for life after new evidence came to light
Jamie Acourt (left) and his brother Neil (right) were also suspects but were never convicted. They were later jailed for drugs offences
Another Lawrence murder suspect, Luke Knight, remains living in south London. He denies involvement in Stephen’s killing
A sixth suspect in the racist murder, Matthew White, who died in 2021, was revealed last month to have been twice arrested but never charged amid police blunders and missed opportunities
‘Furthermore, no criminal charges will be brought in relation to a further investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into allegations of perjury by a suspect who alleged corruption in the initial murder investigation as it also did not meet our legal test for prosecution.
‘We understand this may be deeply disappointing for Stephen’s family and friends, and the CPS has offered to meet with close family members to explain our decision in detail.’
Stephen’s friend Duwayne Brooks, who witnessed the murder, told the Mail he was ‘disappointed’ but ‘not surprised’. He added: ‘I want to see the evidence… I want to see the report that the IOPC sent to the CPS.’
Mr Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 as he made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks.
Only two of his killers have faced justice – Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally jailed for life in 2012 after a trial hingeing on tiny traces of forensic evidence.
Last month the BBC named a sixth suspect in the case for the first time, a man called Matthew White, and outlined the bungled handling of the evidence against him.
Two witnesses said White had confessed to being present during the attack – one of whom, his stepfather, was not spoken to by police until 20 years after the murder because officers had previously misidentified him.
Baroness Lawrence expressed fury that White, who died in 2021, would never face justice because of police mistakes.
Mr Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993 as he made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks (left, next to Stephen’s father, right)
Stephen’s parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence, have said a series of shocking errors in the early stages of the first murder investigation cheated them of ‘complete’ justice
The retired officers investigated included Detective Superintendent Ian Crampton, who was senior investigating officer (SIO) for the first four days of the murder investigation, and Detective Superintendent Brian Weeden, who took over as SIO from Mr Crampton and was in charge for 14 months.
The others were Detective Inspector Benjamin Bullock, who acted as deputy SIO under Mr Crampton and Mr Weeden, and Detective Chief Superintendent William Ilsley, who oversaw the team responsible for the first murder investigation.
Their supporters claim they are the victims of a ‘politically motivated witch-hunt’ and say no evidence of racism or corruption has ever been proven against them.
The CPS decision came 24 hours after the head of Scotland Yard said the Lawrence murder investigation may never progress further because the mistakes made decades ago were so damaging.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said some errors made by investigators were ‘so egregious’ that they would be impossible to repair, despite detectives ‘moving heaven and earth’ in recent years.
IOPC director Sarah Green said of the decision not to charge the detectives: ‘It was important that we follow all possible lines of inquiry in order to determine whether corruption played a part in the well-documented failings of the original investigation into Stephen’s murder and the attack on Duwayne Brooks.
‘A vast amount of documentation, information and intelligence spanning 27 years, some of which was not available to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, was gathered and analysed. Over 150 people were interviewed including serving and former police officers and staff, relevant witnesses and others such as journalists with in-depth knowledge of the original murder investigation.
‘At its peak, 50 NCA investigators and support workers were solely dedicated to uncovering whether corruption played a role in the first investigation into Stephen’s murder. This has been an exhaustive investigation and we are satisfied that the NCA has explored every possible avenue.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said some errors made by investigators were ‘so egregious’ that they would be impossible to repair
‘We appreciate this has been a very long process for all of those affected and we have ensured that all interested parties have been updated throughout our investigation.
‘We remain committed to bringing to light those events from many years ago relating to Stephen’s racist murder and we will publish the reports from all the IOPC investigations which followed the Ellison Review as soon as we can.’
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said he is ‘confident’ all identified lines of inquiry into suspects who have not faced justice have been exhausted.
He said: ‘The convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris in 2012 for murder were significant milestones.
‘Although we remain frustrated that others involved have not faced justice, I am confident, that by 2020, every identified line of inquiry for every other suspect had been thoroughly examined and exhausted.
‘An independent panel of experts reviewed the case and agreed there were no further lines of inquiry. The case is inactive, pending any new evidence coming to light. ‘
Source: Read Full Article
