Parole Board unlikely to grant David Norris and Gary Dobson release on licence without evidence of remorse
Stephen Lawrence's killers will serve many years in prison beyond their minimum sentence unless they admit their guilt, say legal experts.
Probation officers believe that before they can secure their eventual release David Norris and Gary Dobson may have to name others involved in the killing if they are to convince a parole board that they have fully accepted their guilt and have been rehabilitated.
The Observer understands that Scotland Yard detectives investigating the murder will visit Norris and Dobson in prison this week, and will urge them to help their inquiries by "naming names".
Detectives are understood to believe that the issue of their release date could be crucial in persuading the pair to provide vital information that could secure more convictions.
Public unease at the sentences handed down to the pair saw the convictions referred to the attorney general last week. Norris was sentenced to 14 years and three months, while Dobson got 15 years and two months.
However, senior figures in the probation service said it was highly likely that the pair would serve many more years in prison beyond their minimum sentences if they continued to deny their guilt. They point out that a prisoner's eligibility for release following a conviction for murder or another serious crime is routinely based on their acceptance of guilt, remorse shown, the rehabilitation programmes they have completed and an assessment of the risk they pose to the public.
If a prisoner continues to deny their guilt, it is exceptionally hard to persuade the Parole Board of their suitability for release on licence. In addition, only when they have admitted their guilt will they be able to participate in the necessary programmes to confront their offending behaviour.
"My experience is that a continued claim of innocence is always a barrier," said Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, the probation officers' union. "A lifer, in order to get out of jail on licence, needs to demonstrate that he or she has shown remorse, completed rehabilitation programmes and is therefore low-risk.
"By definition, if the prisoner says they have not committed the crime, they are not able to tick the relevant boxes for release."
Following his conviction for murder, Dobson protested his innocence, turning to the jury and telling them: "You have condemned an innocent man. I hope you can live with yourselves." During the trial Norris, too, declared: "You are accusing me of murder. I am an innocent man." The families of both men say they plan to appeal.
Publicly the Parole Board says that maintaining innocence should not be a bar to qualifying for release. However, Napo said there have been very few cases over the past 20 years where the board had agreed to the release of a prisoner who has denied responsibility for an offence such as rape or murder.
"In theory, claiming innocence should not be a barrier to release," Fletcher said. "The reality is that those on life or indeterminate sentences will serve beyond their tariff so long as they maintain their innocence."
Fletcher predicted that, as they sought to secure their release dates, Dobson and Norris would come under pressure to co-operate with the authorities by naming others involved in the murder as a way of proving they have been fully rehabilitated.
"The longer they leave it, the less likely the authorities would be willing to believe the reversal of innocence and would view it as an attempt to manipulate the system," Fletcher said.