Could the video surveillance evidence be used to establish a racial motive?
To this extent, additional evidence relating to racial motivation must be of importance at any trial. Clearly, three of the five prime suspects could not be prosecuted again for manslaughter or murder, since they have been acquitted of such charges[f22]. This in theory leaves a remote possibility that the remaining two Jamie Acourt and David Norris – could be charged with the murder, albeit that it must be the case that the extensive pre-trial publicity could make any prosecution unsafe. At the Main Committal Hearing in relation to the private prosecution, the magistrate considered some audio/video surveillance evidence and concluded that it could “Show that the defendants had a clear racist motive to kill Stephen Lawrence”. This video certainly provides evidence of overt racism.
