Trial Continues in Stephen Lawrence Case

(Posted on 25/11/11)

Adrian Wain, a forensic scientist in the Stephen Lawrence case, testified he had serious concerns over the integrity of the evidence that held clothing garments in the 1993 case. Both the tape and the bags, in his opinion, have degraded over the years. Stephen Lawrence is the 19 year old victim in his case. He was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus April 22, 1993. To date, there have been no convictions, either. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, deny any role in the murder, though police feel they are the ones who murdered the young man in southeast London.

Wain told solicitors that he remained "reluctant" to conduct further testing on Lawrence's clothes because of his concerns, telling the jury, "I didn't have control of them outside the laboratory." He continued, "I knew that the packaging was deteriorating, I knew that the seals were deteriorating. I had concerns about contamination."

Still, the prosecution team insists microscopic fibres, hair and blood found on those clothes prove they took part in the murder.

Timothy Roberts QC, for the defendant Gary Dobson was allowed to read a small portion of a 1999 report that included, "The original tape seals used when the items were seized in 1993 have become so inefficient that in Adrian Wain's view in the event of alien blood cells being found on the suspects' clothing in any subsequent examination he would be unable to rule out the possibility of contamination."

Many may recall that five suspects were arrested though never convicted. Concerns that race played a role and that Lawrence was killed because of that, along with the handling of the case by the Crown Prosecution Service, remains in debate. In one investigation, and after the original investigation wrapped, it was concluded that there existed an "institutionally racist" thread. As a result, it’s been called "one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain".

For now, the trial continues with the promise of new and conclusive evidence.