Lawrence suspect involvement doubt

Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death in 1993

The author of a report into the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence believes one of the five men named as suspects may not have been involved.

Sir William Macpherson said he had doubts that one of the five prime suspects, Gary Dobson, was at the scene in Eltham, south London, in 1993.

He also suggested the five suspects would not be put back on trial if the double jeopardy law was scrapped because there is currently no new evidence against them.

Sir William, whose inquiry concluded the Metropolitan Police were institutionally racist in their handling of the murder, told The Spectator magazine: "I doubted whether one of them, Gary Dobson, had been involved.

...If someone discovered a bloodstained knife....or a bloodstained jacket, that would be different

Sir William Macpherson

"Although he told considerable fibs, he always answered the question and he never confessed.

"I don't know if he was there at the scene of the crime."

Sir William backs the Government's decision to dilute the 800-year-old principle of double jeopardy which means suspects cannot be tried twice for the same offence.

Under Home Secretary David Blunkett's Criminal Justice White Paper second trials would be possible in cases where there is "compelling new evidence".

The move has been widely seen as possibly opening the door for a new Lawrence trial.

But Sir William said he believes that, even with the change in the law, there could be no retrial of the Lawrence suspects as things stand.

Awaiting sentence

"Certainly not at the moment, because there is no further evidence," he said.

"Of course, if someone discovered a bloodstained knife under a floorboard in the Acourts' house, or a bloodstained jacket, that would be different."

Gary Dobson was acquitted of Stephen's murder in a private prosecution in 1996, along with Neil Acourt and Luke Knight while the case against two other suspects, David Norris and Jamie Acourt, was dropped before that.

Norris and Neil Acourt are currently awaiting sentence after being convicted last month of racially aggravated harassment of a black police officer.