Menorcan resident John Davidson refutes corruption allegations

Stephen Lawrence detective denies BBC claims of bribery

Murdered teenager

Christine M. Watterson.Maó

In a statement issued via his solicitor yesterday, retired Detective Sergeant John Davidson denied allegations of corruption and of having taken bribes during investigations into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

A BBC documentary, "The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence", shown last Wednesday, claimed that the Menorcan resident had deliberately hampered the investigation and had accepted bribes from Clifford Norris, the father of one of the suspects.

In yesterday´s statement, Davidson said that the only time he had come into contact with Clifford Norris was after the Lawrence investigation when he arrested him for offences including firearms and drugs. Norris was subsequently charged and convicted in relation to the offences, but other than in connection with this case Davidson denies having had any dealings "either directly or indirectly with Clifford Norris".

Davidson, who has been advised by his solicitor not to speak directly to the press as it may jeopardise a possible future court case, used the statement to maintain his innocence of the accusations and added "I would like to express my profound sympathies with the family of Stephen Lawrence and for any further hurt that these false allegations may have caused them".

The former Scotland Yard detective closed by saying "I sincerely hope that the killers of Stephen Lawrence are brought to justice".

Lawrence´s murderers still at large

In 1993 an 18-year old black youth, Stephen Lawrence, was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, by a gang of white youths.

As a result of police investigations five men, Neil and Jamie Acourt, Gary Dobson, Luke Knight and David Norris, were arrested but never convicted of the murder as the Crown Prosecution Service said that there was not enough evidence against them.

Detective Sergeant John Davidson was one of the investigating officers.