One of Stephen Lawrence’s killers is an “unreliable narrator” who is not ready to be released, a prison psychologist has told the Parole Board.
David Norris, 49, yesterday apologised for his role in the teenager’s racist murder as he appeared before a Parole Board in a bid for freedom.
However, a prison psychologist suggested the killer was an “unreliable narrator of his own life” as he identified inconsistencies in the evidence Norris gave to the panel.
“I think hearing the evidence was quite confusing – sometimes admitting some things, sometimes going back on that and sometimes being confused around dates,” the expert said.
He added he did not know if that was to do with the pressure of the hearing or because he was being “cautious” about what he puts into a public forum, but noted: “He clearly wants to be careful what he admits to.”
The prison-appointed expert said that while Norris has made “some progress”, he does not believe Norris has met the test for release or recommend his move to open conditions.
“I would argue he should remain in closed conditions,” the expert, who cannot be identified, told the hearing.
The psychologist noted Norris had admitted to him during nine hours of assessment that he had used racially disrespectful language in an incident with another prisoner in 2017.
However, giving evidence to the panel, Norris said he can’t remember using the offensive term towards a Muslim inmate.
Asked by panel member Dr Duncan Harding if he felt the inconsistency was due to poor memory or if he was “deliberately trying to rewrite history”, he replied: “I don’t know the answer to that, but I would say it’s probably likely a combination of those things.
“Sometimes he has a good memory and good detail for certain things, other times less so. I do think that he wants to project – certainly in the public domain – himself in a positive light.”
However, the psychologist said he believed the remorse shown by Norris was “genuine” and had pre-dated his parole hearing.
Only two of Mr Lawrence’s five or six alleged attackers have ever faced justice. Norris was jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years, along with Gary Dobson, who must serve a minimum of 15 years, in a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence in 2012.
Yesterday, Norris, now 49, said he was “deeply sorry” to the teenager’s family as he publicly admitted his part in the racist murder for the first time.
He said he was caught up in a “gang mentality” as he described punching the aspiring architect, 18, as he was crouched on the ground.
Norris told the hearing there were five individuals involved in the murder, but said his family would be “at risk” if he named the other killers. He claimed he did not see the 22cm blade which inflicted the fatal blows until they fled the scene.
The group never spoke about the incident except to say “be careful of what you say from here on in, and it was never spoken about again”, Norris told the hearing.
He insisted there is “no group loyalty” or “criminal code” preventing him from naming his accomplices, adding: “There is one reason and one reason only, because I’m worried about the safety of my family.”
However, Mr Lawrence’s grieving mother told the panel he was an “obvious danger to society” and should not be released.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence reminded the hearing of a shocking covert police recording of Norris and Dobson from 1994, known as the Footscray tapes, in which Norris discussed how he would “kill every black c***” he knows.
He later discussed taking two submachine guns to Catford, a diverse area of southeast London.
“Any person who expresses views like this and doesn’t recant is an obvious danger to society and must remain in custody,” Baroness Lawrence added.
Mr Lawrence’s father said his son’s killer has not shown “genuine remorse”, adding that “justice has not been done” if Norris is released without naming the other members of the gang.
The prison hearing is being video-streamed to a room in the Royal Courts of Justice where members of the public, including Baroness Lawrence, are able to observe proceedings.
Norris, wearing a grey long-sleeved top and using a hearing loop, is visible only from behind.
He has been in his current prison for around two years, and works in the servery, where food is prepared and distributed, the hearing was told.
The hearing continues.
