Lawrence pair plead not guilty at preliminary court hearing

Gary Dobson and David Norris will stand trial in November
12 April 2012

The mother of teenager Stephen Lawrence today watched the two men accused of killing her son formally plead not guilty to murder. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 34, were ordered to stand trial at the Old Bailey in November by Mr Justice Treacy.

The defendants, both from south London, appeared via a videolink from Belmarsh prison. They will appear in court personally for a further hearing in September before the trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks.

The two were arrested last September but this could not be reported until May, when reporting restrictions were eased by Appeal Court judges.

They ruled that Dobson could stand trial despite being previously accused, and cleared, in 1996 when the Lawrence family brought a private prosecution. The new charge was brought after changes to the double jeopardy law which allowed a second trial in the light of "fresh and compelling evidence." Norris had not been on trial in 1996.

Stephen, an 18-year-old A-level student, was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Eltham in April 1993.

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