Stephen Lawrence murder: Gary Dobson and David Norris get 15 and 14 years minimum

Gary Dobson has been sentenced to a minumum of 15 years and David Norris to a minimum 14 years for the murder of Stephen Lawrence- who was killed in a racially motivated attack in Eltham, London in 1993.

A-Level student Stephen Lawrence was killed in on Well Hall Road, Eltham, London on 22 April 1993 when he was attacked by a group of white youths.

[Video:David Norris questioned by police in 2010]

Dobson and Norris participated in the "group attack" that caused Lawrence's death. The pair were 17 and 16 at the time of the attack, forcing Mr Justice Treacy to sentence them as juveniles.

After a lengthy police operation the Lawrence family attempted a private prosecution of Dobson, Norris and three other suspects - Jamie Acourt, Neil Acourt and Luke Knight in - in 1994.

Charges against David Norris and Jamie Acourt were dropped while the other three were acquitted in court. A follow up inquiry found severe shortcomings in the Met response. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry found that "the investigation was marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers".

Police reopened investigations into Stephen Lawrence's murder in 2007, using state of the art forensic technology to examine clothes taken from the suspects' homes in 1993. Evidence gathered from forensic tests allowed the arrests of David Norris and Gary Dobson on 7 September 2010, with both failing to respond to questioning put to them by police.

The pair were put on trial at the Old Bailey and the jury found them guilty in a unaminous verdict.

"We are very pleased for the family and those who loved Stephen," said Met acting deputy commissioner Cressida Dick after the conviction on Tuesday. "There have been several investigations over the last 18 years during which the Lawrence family have campaigned tirelessly for justice.

“This prosecution has depended upon previously unavailable scientific technology and techniques which led to the discovery of the new evidence.