Pages

Thursday 5 January 2012

Attorney-General To Review Lawrence Terms

The Attorney-General is to review whether the sentences handed to the two men convicted of killing teenager Stephen Lawrence were "unduly lenient".
The review follows a request by a member of the public and comes after the trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, suggested he would have doubled the minimum terms of Gary Dobson and David Norris if the law had allowed.
The pair, 36 and 35 respectively, were jailed for life at the Old Bailey on Wednesday for the racist murder of Mr Lawrence 19 years ago.
Dobson, who is already serving a five-year sentence for drug-dealing, was sentenced to at least 15 years and two months.
Norris was given a minimum of 14 years and three months for the murder, which the judge said was a "terrible and evil crime".
A spokesman for the Attorney-General said the individual who requested the review was unconnected to the Lawrence family.
It comes as the Metropolitan Police hit back at reports the Stephen Lawrence investigation team is to be disbanded following the convictions.
Mr Justice Treacy had urged the police to hunt down the "three or four" others involved in the crime and said they should not "close the file".
But if no fresh information emerges, it appears the investigation - which has a 20-strong team of officers working on it - could again grind to a halt.
However, a spokesman told Sky News: "We have no current intention to disband the team investigating the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
"We are now reviewing what further lines of inquiry are available." 
The Met has also indicated that they have received information from the public relating to the case.
"We can confirm that we have received a number of telephone calls in light of the verdicts and sentencing.
"This information will be evaluated."
Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has also joined Mr Justice Treacy in his call for further arrests, saying that the remaining culprits "should not rest easily in their beds".
The Old Bailey heard that a gang of five or six white youths set upon A-level student Mr Lawrence in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993.
It has been reported that within the next month officers will again speak with Dobson and Norris.
Neither has given any indication that they are more likely to talk following their conviction and sentencing.

No comments:

Post a Comment