Who is David Norris and where is Stephen Lawrence’s killer now?
DAVID Norris was handed a life sentence for the unprovoked attack and murder of Stephen Lawrence.
In 1993, 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death as he waited at a bus stop with a friend in Eltham, South East London.
Who is David Norris?
Norris grew up in Chislehurst - miles from his fellow gang members who were raised in a more deprived area of Eltham in South London.
As a teen, Norris was implicated along with other gang members in a string of violent knife attacks in South East London.
When police first arrested Norris on suspicion of murdering Stephen when he was aged 16, officers had to pass through electronic gates at his dad's £800,000 home.
But in 2012, when they came knocking with an arrest warrant in hand, they found Norris in less lavish surroundings.
The killer was living out of a van and dossing in a bedsit above a pub in Greenwich.
He was making a living selling scrap metal after a falling out with his drug-baron dad.
The brute no longer cared for his five children after splitting with his girlfriend.
Where is David Norris?
Norris is in prison, serving a minimum 14-year and three month sentence.
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In 2017, the convicted killer sought £10,000 from the government after he was beaten up in the notorious Belmarsh Prison.
He claimed he was targeted by three black inmates, who used a knife and a sock full of tin cans.
The killer reportedly suffered a broken nose and cuts to his face, as well as black eyes, broken ribs, and lasting psychological effects.
Norris was given public funding for his court battle against prison chiefs.
In 2022, Norris was moved out of Cat-B HMP Garth, Lancs, as he was deemed a lower-risk inmate.
But he was “incensed” by the switch to HMP Dartmoor, Devon.
A source said: “Norris was delighted when told he was being moved to a lower category prison.
"But this turned to anger when he was told it was Dartmoor, notorious for being isolated and bleak.
“It is also hundreds of miles from his home manor and hard to visit.”
That same year, an attempt to move Norris to an open jail was blocked by former Justice Secretary Dominic Raab.
Following the denied request, Norris was found with a smartphone in his prison cell which he used to boastfully text friends, watch videos and send sickening selfies of his luxury lockup.
He even sent WhatsApp messages attacking Raab,
Why did he kill Stephen Lawrence?
The judge at the trial described the attack as a "crime committed for no other reason than racial hatred''.
In 1994, police used covert surveillance on Gary Dobson and captured Norris spewing vile racist language in a shocking rant.
In 2002, he was jailed for five years after he yelled a racial slur and hurled a drink at an off-duty police officer on the same road where he and four others had chased Stephen down nine years earlier.
Ten years later, he was caged for life with a minimum of 14 years and three months for Stephen's murder.
In August 2020, police shelved their investigation into the murder of Lawrence, saying the case had moved to an "inactive phase" and that they had no further lines of inquiry.
Met Police chief Cressida Dick said: "The investigation has now moved to an 'inactive' phase, but I have given Stephen's family the assurance that we will continue to deal with any new information that comes to light.
"The investigation into Stephen's murder will also be periodically reviewed for any further investigative opportunities which may arise; for example, with advances in technology.
However, Clive Driscoll, who led the investigation which saw Norris locked up, hopes the 2021 ITV drama that chronicled Stephen's story will encourage other witnesses to come forward.
He said: “I’m hoping this drama will convince someone to come forward with a bit of the jigsaw that we’ve all waited for.
"Because people are out there who know what happened and I hope they are watching.