Stephen Lawrence trial: Jury deliberations continue

The jury in the Stephen Lawrence murder trial is continuing to consider its verdict at the Old Bailey. The jury, which was first sent out on Thursday and warned by Mr Justice Treacy to set aside any emotion, has now resumed its deliberations. Mr Lawrence, 18, was stabbed in a racist gang attack in Eltham, south-east London in 1993. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, deny murder, and say forensic evidence was contaminated. The trial, which began at the Old Bailey on 14 November, is in its seventh week. The court is normally closed throughout the week after Christmas but has been specially opened during the holiday period for this case. During his summing-up on Thursday, the judge, Mr Justice Treacy, told the jury of four women and eight men that they must "reach verdicts on the basis of cool, calm consideration" and stressed that they could take as long as necessary to reach a verdict. He told the jurors that to reach a verdict they must answer the question of whether they could be sure that new forensic evidence relating to textile fibres, blood and hair came from Mr Lawrence. If so, they have to be sure it was not contaminated and, if that cannot be excluded, they must return a verdict of not guilty. The judge also said the jury then had to be sure that the defendants took part in the attack on Mr Lawrence and, if so, they intended to kill him or cause serious harm. Under joint enterprise they can be convicted of murder if they did not inflict the killer blow, but if they knew someone in the group intended to cause serious harm.