Lawrence: Killers Face Jail As Parents Speak

The two men found guilty of murdering Stephen Lawrence face sentencing, as the parents of the dead student speak out about the racially-motivated attack.

Gary Dobson and David Norris face life sentences over the death of the A-level student Stephen in 1993.

The 18-year-old died after he was attacked by a gang of youths and stabbed at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London.

The prosecution case in the seven-week trial had hinged on new forensic evidence discovered by scientists 15 years after Stephen's death as part of a cold-case review.

Last night Stephen's father Neville Lawrence called for Norris and Dobson to name the rest of those responsible for his son's murder.

"I'm praying that these people now realise that they have been found out and say to themselves: 'Yes I did that awful deed, but I wasn't alone in that action that night and there are other people who are also guilty of what I have done' and name them,'" Mr Lawrence told Channel 4 News.

"I hope before the sentence is passed on them, that they will actually talk and give the rest of these people who were part of the group that killed my son up (this) morning."

Speaking at a press conference before the sentencing, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson said: "Justice must be implemented and it must be a deterrent against this behaviour.

"These two young men must not be trophies, it rather takes away from the deeper malady of expanding violence.

"Two have been convicted and at least three others are on the loose.

"The community has incubated them - all these years many people knew who they were and they would end up being convicted on the strength of a drop of blood or a strand of hair.

"It was much more obvious down through the years who was involved in this killing."

He added: "Blacks in this society...are still second class citizens - free but not equal, not adequately protected by law.

"Where there is a case like this, hats off to the mother and father, whose love never dies and who would never give up on the killing of their child."

New scientific techniques revealed a tiny bloodstain on Dobson's jacket that could only have been from the victim. A single hair belonging to the teenager was also found on Norris' jeans.

Both of Stephen's divorced parents were in court to hear the jury verdict yesterday.

Sky's Tom Parmenter, reporting from the courtroom, said: "Stephen's parents Doreen and Neville wiped away tears in court as the verdicts began to sink in.

"Their long battle for justice has drawn huge support and many friends were in court with their heads in their hands such was their relief."

Mrs Lawrence told the BBC Panorama programme: "I'm so numb. When we were told that the verdict was in, all of a sudden you feel panic.

"Even though I was holding myself, it just seems to have got tighter still so when they said it (the verdict), something snapped. I thought, 'Thank God' and then when it was both of them, it was even more.

"I think some part of it is just releasing some of the stress and strain that has been building up for the past 18 years."

Mrs Lawrence revealed that her son was buried in Jamaica at a family plot, rather than at a cemetery in Britain.

"Had he been buried in the UK his grave would have been desecrated so many times," she said.

"I think it's still the best thing we did, that we brought him here so he can be next to his great-grandmother so she can look after him."

Clive Efford, Labour MP for Eltham, said he hoped the police investigation would continue if officers believe there were others involved.

Dobson, 36, and Norris, 35, will be treated as juveniles at sentencing because of their ages - 17 and 16 respectively - at the time of the murder.

The recommended starting point will be around 12 years, although the judge could increase this because of the racially motivated aspect of the case and the fact the pair realised one of the group might use a knife.