Revealed: Gangster father of Stephen Lawrence killer David Norris lives penniless in rundown ‘bedsit’ above a comfort store as assassin son makes freedom bid
The ex-gangster father of Stephen Lawrence murderer David Norris lives penniless in a rundown flat and has refused to show remorse for his son’s killing.
David Norris is set for a Parole Board hearing in the coming weeks which could see him released early for the racist killing of Stephen in 1993.
It was a crime which shocked the nation and shone a spotlight on the families of those responsible, including ex-south London drugs boss Clifford Norris, 65.
Clifford was once a drugs baron worth millions and had a string of corrupt Metropolitan Police officers in his back pocket.
He was alleged he used these to shield thug son David from being convicted of the murder in Eltham, south east London.
The Macpherson report into Stephen’s murder deemed Norris an ‘evil influence’ whose ‘very damaging role’ prevented witnesses from coming forward.
He even allegedly paid off a police officer involved in the investigation.
But the fortunes of both men did not last long.
Clifford Norris, 65, has been reduced to living in a bedsit in Kent
When asked if he wanted to say sorry to the Lawrence family on behalf of his son, he said: ‘F*** off’ (The iron grill entrance to Clifford’s flat)
Five men were initially arrested over the racist murder of Stephen, 18, (above) who was fatally stabbed in Eltham, south east London
David Norris, 48, could be freed in months after he was granted an oral Parole Board hearing which could happen as early as May, the Mail can reveal
David is serving a life sentence for the murder. The Daily Mail revealed earlier this week he has an upcoming Parole Board hearing which could see him free.
He was finally jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years in 2012 after evading justice for so long.
And Clifford now lives in a pokey bedsit in Kent, at the back of a convenience store.
It is a world away from a former mock tudor mansion in an upmarket private road in south London and a fleet of fast cars which was his previous life.
This included a Porsche 911.
Instead, he is believed to be unemployed and lives in a ‘miserable’ flat.
He visits a cafe across the road and will go to a newsagent to buy food and essentials and occasionally buys a lottery ticket, locals said.
When approached by Mail Online this week at the property, he was in no mood for small talk.
And clearly had no remorse on behalf of his son.
He said: ‘F*** off. F*** off, you c***.
‘Go away. F*** off before there’s trouble. You’re a c***.’
He lives penniless in a rundown flat and has refused to show remorse for his son’s killing (Pictured: the flat)
Clifford was once concerned a drug’s baron who was worth millions (Pictured in 2006)
When asked if he wanted to say sorry to the Lawrence family on behalf of his son, he said: ‘F*** off.’
One neighbour said: ‘It’s a sorry state of affairs. It’s quite sad.
‘It’s a tiny bedsit basically. He’s on his own. He often looks angry.
‘He visits a cafe across the road for a cup of tea and something to eat but does not seem to travel far.
‘It’s a rundown area. It’s untidy around there. It’s just a small place above a convenience shop.
‘There’s nothing really going on.’
Another said: ‘We know who he is but don’t say anything. It was a horrific murder.’
A car park full of rubbish sits behind the property and gangs of youths ride on bikes, smoke cannabis and cause anti-social behaviour problems nearby, locals claim.
Another said: ‘It’s a million miles away from the high-life.
‘He must feel quite humiliated by his downfall.
‘It’s a complete fall from grace. It is shocking that he will not sorry for what his son did.’
He moved to Kent after being brought down in the 1990s when jailed for intent to supply drugs and possessing a submachine-gun.
He lost his property empire, cars and money through the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Locals believe he is still unemployed, and he has previously spoken about being on benefits.
They also said they thought he was still single.
Stephen Lawrence murder suspect Luke Knight in Eltham, South East London, on September 3
Luke Knight (far left) was famously pelted with eggs on June 30, 1998 outside the public inquiry into the police’s handling of the Stephen Lawrence case in London
Gary Dobson (left) was jailed for at least 15 years and two months and David Norris (right) was jailed at least 14 years and three months for the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993
Jamie Acourt (left) and his brother Neil (right) were also suspects but were never convicted
Last year, Luke Knight, 47, was seen outside a newsagent’s at Eltham in South East London, around a mile from the bus stop where Stephen was stabbed aged 18 in 1993.
Knight, who still lives in the area, was arrested and charged with murder at the time before it was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service due to lack of evidence.
He was tried for murder in 1996 after a private prosecution brought by Stephen’s parents but the judge told the jury to acquit him after further issues with evidence.
The roofer, who has always maintained his innocence, remains the only one of the original five suspects in Stephen’s case who does not have a criminal conviction.
Knight was one of the five faces famously plastered on the Daily Mail’s front page on February 14, 1997 beneath the headline: ‘MURDERERS. The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.’
The other four were Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt and David Norris.
In 2012, Dobson and Norris were found guilty of being involved in the attack and sentenced to life imprisonment, after a forensic review of the case found significant new scientific evidence on clothing seized from their homes following the murder.
The Acourt brothers have always maintained their innocence and have never been convicted, although both have since served jail time for drug dealing.
A sixth suspect called Matthew White, who was arrested twice over the murder but never charged, was revealed in an investigation by the BBC in June last year. He died in 2021 aged 50.
On the rare occasions Knight has spoken about the case, he has protested his innocence and denied being at the scene.
The latest sighting of him came last week on September 3, when the father-of-two was pictured dressed casually in a cream polo short and dark shorts after visiting a shop in Eltham.
Neighbours and friends said Knight earns a living as a roofer but lives a ‘lonely existence’ in a top-floor flat and has started to look older in recent years, with grey hair visible.
Despite remaining in the local area, they added that he has never escaped the shadow of being a suspect for the murder.
A neighbour said: ‘He’s a very lonely man. He seems full of anger. He walks around without a care in the world though, despite the murder taking place just down the road.
‘It’s shocking that Stephen would now be 50. Knight just lives the same life.
‘He strongly maintains his innocence. But if ever asked, he refuses to speak. He has said before the whole things hangs over him all the time.’
Knight is said to refuse to discuss Stephen’s murder now – although talked about the case in an ITV interview in 1999 which also heard from the other four suspects.
