'Not much more can be learnt' from Stephen Lawrence case, says police watchdog
29 June 2023, 08:57 | Updated: 29 June 2023, 08:59
The boss of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has said there were multiple failings in the Stephen Lawrence case but that there’s ‘not much more value’ from going back over the investigation.
HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr told Nick Ferrari this morning: “I don’t think there’s much to be learnt from Stephen Lawrence.
“It’s a really sorry tale. We focus hugely on the racism aspects of the failings there but there are actually quite a lot of other failings in the way they investigated that case.
“Some of these old cases, you get to the point where you probably can’t get much more value from going back over them.
“What we’re most interested in is whether these cases that have gone wrong… tragically wrong… is whether the lessons have been learned or whether they’re still doing the same things.”
“Rather than raking up old ground, it’s what would they do now, how do they approach these situations now.”
The comments come several days after a sixth suspect in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence was identified for the first time.
The Metropolitan Police said Matthew White was arrested twice over the murder, but on both occasions there was not enough evidence for a prosecution.
Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.
The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-old's killers to be brought to justice, with three named suspects never prosecuted.
Gary Dobson and David Norris were jailed for life at the Old Bailey in 2012 at the end of a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence found years after the crime.
Two of the three remaining suspects, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have since served jail time for drug dealing, while Luke Knight has remained free.
The identification of White, who died aged 50 in 2021, comes after a BBC investigation which claimed he had a central role in the case.
White was first arrested over the murder in March 2000 and again in December 2013 but, on both occasions, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advised there was no realistic prospect of conviction for any offence, the Met said.
In a statement prompted by the BBC investigation, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said: "The impact of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and subsequent inquiries continues to be felt throughout policing.
"Unfortunately, too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation and the impact of them continues to be seen."
Following the 2012 convictions, trial judge Mr Justice Treacy said: "On the evidence before the court, there are still three or four other killers of Stephen Lawrence at large."
White was first brought up in the investigation in May 1993 when he told officers he had visited the homes of two other suspects on the night of the murder, Scotland Yard said.
He was seen by police officers when he refused to attend the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry before being re-interviewed during the post-inquiry investigation.
Between March and April 2000 White was arrested and interviewed under caution after new information was received from a new witness but denied any involvement in the murder.
In May 2005, prosecutors advised that there was no realistic prospect of conviction of White for any offence.
Following the convictions of Norris and Dobson, a seven-year post-conviction investigation was launched.
In 2013 it was discovered that a Met officer who was not involved in the investigation team sent a message about a relative of White who may hold information in 1993.
The relative was not named and was misidentified in what the Met has called a "significant and regrettable error".
It was not until 2012 that the relative was correctly identified and new information was obtained.
The Met said White was arrested for a second time in December 2013 based on the new information but in October 2014 a further CPS advice file found that no further action should be taken.
In February 2020, White was seen and spoken to again but there was insufficient witness or forensic evidence to progress any further before he died in August 2021.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced in 2020 that, following an investigation launched in 2014, they had submitted a file of evidence to the CPS to consider whether four former police officers who were in senior roles at various times during the opening weeks of the murder investigation may have committed criminal offences of misconduct in public office.
In May 2023, the Met commissioned a routine forensic review of key exhibits to consider whether new scientific processes may advance the case.
