Stephen Lawrence...

[max_tranmere]

I see on the news today that two of the guys alleged to have killed him are going to be re-tried under the new double-jeopardy rule. I remember when this murder happened, in Eltham in 1993, and I've always felt very sorry for the family. The follow-on from this, when it was established the Police had cocked the whole thing up and the enquiry report saying the Met Police was 'institutionally racist', was like dropping an atomic bomb on the Metropolitan Police. Things have never been the same since.

Now with this latest thing getting so much coverage, I can not see how they will get anything other than a 'guilty' verdict. This is the third time there has been an attempt to jail them, and if it doesn't work this time I can see race-relations being set back yet further and probable rioting in black areas of London. Therefore it is rather predictable they will be found guilty by the Court later this year.

Do people think it will be a disaster for race-relations if they get another acquital? They deserve to go down, and they will. I can see little point in having a drawn-out Court case though, as the result has already been determined.

[Arginald Valleywater]

If they are innocent then they should be acquitted. If S L had been white this case would have been filed away years ago. I often wonder who keeps it going? Nation of Islam money anyone??

[jimslip]

In some ways you are right, since Stephen Lawrence there have been hundreds of brutal attacks and stabbings of people of all colours. Most of the attackers have either not been caught or received sentences that do not reflect the sheer catastrophe that their actions have had on the victims and their family.

If the brutal murderers of SL are found guilty of murder then at least give them a proper sentence, ie 14 years.This would at least bring justice to SL and his family and would set an example to other murderous thugs out there. However, I fear they may be found guily of manslaughter and be given derisory sentences. This of course would be the worse outcome for all concerned including us.

All the same they must be proven guilty "beyond all reasonable doubt"........that's the problem, I fear after all this time. Thanks to police incompetence and corruption, there is now reasonable doubt.

[David Johnson]

"If S L had been white this case would have been filed away years ago. I often wonder who keeps it going? Nation of Islam money anyone??"

This is one of the first double jeopardy cases in the UK after the law was changed. Acquitted in 2002. Charged and found guilty in 2009.

Oh, forgot to mention, the guilty man was a black guy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/2 ... e-jeopardy

Oh and what about this?

White girl murdered in 1995. Defendant acquitted in 1996. Charged and found guilty in 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/1 ... e-jeopardy

And this, white girl murdered in 1989, accused gets off twice in 91 because the jury failed to reach a verdict but they got him in 2006

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -17724343/

Great eh, Arginald?

Cheers
D






CHeers
D

[number 6]

The family deserve justuice,these scumbags who did have been sticking two fingers up to the family for years,racist scum that they are.

[one eyed jack]

"then at least give them a proper sentence, ie 14 years"

Nah, fuck that. If found guilty give them both LIFE!!! 25 years at least. Thats what murderers get

Not only did they murder a human being to compound it they murdered him because he was different.

I'm not one of those police haters but there sure was some ineptitude going on at the time of S L's murder.

If he was a bad ass black kid there would be a race riot round that area for sure.

[one eyed jack]

Worse still, someof the posts on this thread smackof racism straight away when they imply that .."if he was a white kid"

I was reading a blog with interest written by a white english "gentlemen" (read: pompous hoity toity and racist imperialist) who is chronicling all the wrongs that is going on in this ocuntry with regards foreign nationals and the traitorous whites who are the enemy within...Thats ok to be upset and be white, it hasnt gone unnoticed on my part, but at least chronicle all the shit bag stuff the british empire has done in its past if youre into point scoring and you'll find it all adds up that people are bad on an equal level no matter their race, religion or creed.

How long shall we keep kicking each other in the nuts because we are different? Thats why this shit never ends!

[David Johnson]

Agreed

Cheers
D

[max_tranmere]

I don't think this is high profile because he was black, it was because of the Police cocking the whole thing up which meant no one was sent down at the initial trail, the Lawrence family bringing a private prosecution which collapsed because of 'lack of evidence' (read: Police ineptitude), then the Labour Government commissioning an enquiry which found the Police to have been useless, incompetent, and the Met in general suffering from 'institutionalised racism'. The massive coverage which that finding got, added to all the other things I've just detailed, meant the Stephen Lawrence murder became one of the most infamous and high-profile murders in Britain for a generation. There have been other white-on-black attacks/murders that have been dealt with by the Courts and forgotten about very quickly.