DOREEN LAWRENCE allowed herself a few tears in public after the guilty verdicts finally sank in at the Old Bailey.
Although they sat feet apart and could not see each other, she and Neville Lawrence seemed to start weeping at the same time.
But it was when she was ushered to a private room that Mrs Lawrence let it all out. She was said to be “in bits” as justice was done for their son Stephen (18) stabbed to death by a racist gang 18 years ago.
Later, she joined her estranged husband in front of the court to describe the bitter-sweet victory which came after years of disappointment.
When they returned into the building, they hugged and kissed relatives. There had been total silence in court as the jury foreman said “guilty” when asked for verdicts on the murder charge.
Dobson and Norris, both dressed in grey suits, had stood with their hands behind them.
The judge Mr Justice Treacy then asked for them to be taken down to the cells.
As he was leaving Dobson called out to the jury: “You have condemned an innocent man here. I hope you can live with yourselves.” His mother Pauline called out from the public gallery above: “He didn’t kill that man.”
As they were taken back in front of the judge later, Dobson patted his chin in a sign to his mother to keep her chin up.
They left with calls of “love you” and “stay strong” from the public gallery.
But there was no sympathy or remorse from them for the Lawrence family who had been put through a seven-week trial where at times Mr Lawrence had to leave rather than listen to how his son perished. – (PA)
