Stephen Lawrence murder: Friend 'could have identified sixth suspect'

Stephen Lawrence's person has said helium could person identified a sixth fishy successful his friend's execution if helium had been fixed the opportunity.

In an interrogation with the BBC, Duwayne Brooks said helium would person picked retired Matthew White, who died successful 2021, successful a line-up.

Stephen, 18, was killed successful Eltham, south-east London successful April 1993.

Mr Brooks was waiting for a autobus with Stephen astatine the time.

The nonaccomplishment of the archetypal constabulary probe prompted a landmark nationalist enquiry which concluded the Met was institutionally racist.

Asked whether the pictures released past week were of the aforesaid idiosyncratic Mr Brooks had described to the constabulary successful April 1993, helium said: "100%. Not lone did I picture him arsenic champion I could, you had different witnesses astatine the autobus halt who besides described him."

"I americium 100% definite that if that idiosyncratic was enactment earlier me, and the different witnesses, successful the archetypal stages of the investigations connected an ID parade, we each would person picked him out."

Thirty years aft his friend's killing, Mr Brooks said it would beryllium "impossible" to retrieve what Matthew White looked similar from memory.

"But from the drawings it triggers however I felt, triggers however I consciousness today. That reminds maine that that is the person. There is nary uncertainty successful my mind, from what I described, from those drawings, what you tin spot from the different witnesses, that that is the idiosyncratic who was there. At the scene, connected the night."

Asked astir the mode grounds helium provided astir the sixth fishy - Matthew White - was handled, Mr Brooks said it was "corruption" and "decisions made backmost past were a deliberate enactment of sabotage".

When approached for remark the Met said it would not beryllium issuing a caller statement.

The Met Police has consistently said determination were six achromatic men involved, arsenic Mr Brooks said connected the night.

Five premier suspects became wide known aft the murder, but the nationalist enquiry said determination were "five oregon six" attackers.

David Norris and Gary Dobson were fixed beingness sentences for the execution successful 2012. The different 3 - Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt - person not been convicted of the crime.

White was arrested twice, successful 2000 and 2013, and files were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service successful 2005 and 2014. But connected some occasions prosecutors said determination was nary realistic imaginable of conviction.

In May and June 1993 Mr Brooks and eyewitnesses to the execution attended individuality parades which included the premier suspects successful the case, but Matthew White was not portion of the parades.

In the aforesaid BBC interview, Mr Brooks said the transgression justness strategy doesn't enactment for victims "at this infinitesimal successful time". He added that an apology from the Met would beryllium a "tick-boxing exercise".

"The mode I person been treated is simply a disgrace. My acquisition should ne'er person happened."

Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Stephen Lawrence's mother, has besides criticised the constabulary handling of accusation astir a sixth fishy successful her son's murder, saying determination should beryllium "serious sanctions" against the constabulary officers who failed to analyse White.

In effect to the naming of Matthew White arsenic a suspect, the Met Police confirmed helium was seen again successful 2020, but determination was insufficient witnesser oregon forensic grounds to advancement further.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said: "Unfortunately, excessively galore mistakes were made successful the archetypal probe and the interaction of them continues to beryllium seen.

"On the 30th day of Stephen's murder, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for our failings and I repetition that apology today."