Crucial evidence in the Stephen Lawrence murder case went undiscovered for 21 years after police blunder

THE chilling moment six thugs fled the scene of Stephen Lawrence’s murder was shown in a TV reconstruction, above, on BBC1’s Crimewatch programme last night.
It came amid revelations crucial evidence went undiscovered for 21 years after a police mistake over a handbag strap found at the scene.

Detectives now believe the black strap was used as part of a home-made weapon by one of 18-year-old Stephen’s racist killers.

A similar bag strap threaded through the head of a claw hammer to fashion a vicious swinging weapon was found at the home of David Norris, convicted of Stephen’s murder in January 2012.

A horrifying reconstruction of the moment a gang of six white thugs gave chase after Stephen and stabbed him to death was broadcast on BBC1's Crimewatch.

The programme also featured an appeal to try and trace a mystery woman whose DNA was found on the strap.

Detectives believed she was the original owner of the bag from where the strap came and unwittingly gave it to one of the gang.

The worn strap, measuring 66cms long, 1.7cms wide and with a damaged buckle, was found discarded in the road at the spot where a mob gave chase after A’ Level student Stephen and stabbed him to death on the night of April 22 1993.

However, yesterday it emerged how the “ significant” clue went undiscovered after a calamitous error by a scenes of crime officer (SOCO) who discovered the strap.

The SOCO correctly noted it was found 11 yards away from a pool of Stephen’s blood where he was attacked at the junction of Well Hall Road and Dickson Road, Eltham, South East London.

However, the notes were typed up by somebody else and a simple punctuation error gave the appearance the strap had been found 90 yards away with another exhibit outside an address at 290 Well Hall Road.

When the statement was read back to the SOCO for them to sign, they did not have their notes and failed to spot the mistake.

The error only came to light in 2014 when a police re-investigation team spotted the discrepancy while examining statements and notes made by officers at the time of Stephen’s murder.

A series of mistakes during the original Operation Fishpool investigation led to the Met being branded “institutionally racist” in the 1999 Macpherson public inquiry report.

Accusations of incompetence and corruption against officers still persist.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission have been informed of about the error over the handbag strap.

However, Chris Le Pere, civilian senior investigating officer of the 13-strong re-investigation into Stephen’s murder, said : “In my judgement there was no misconduct in this. It was an honest mistake.”

As well as the mystery female’s DNA, there were also two partial male profiles on the strap which are too poor in quality to determine an identity.

Detectives have established that the strap did not belong to Stephen or his pal Duwayne Brooks. And there were no tyre marks on it, suggesting it had been dropped recently.

Mr Le Pere said : “I believe the strap was left by one of the suspects at the murder scene.

“It was possibly used as part of an adapted offensive weapon.

“There is no evidence that the female it belonged to was at the crime scene and it is possible that she unwittingly gave the strap to one of the suspects or their associates.”

Police approached 111 women to screen their DNA for a match with the profile found on the strap.

They included victims of handbag robberies in the area at the time and female associates of the suspects.

Only half those asked co-operated with the request and police remain powerless to force them to do so.

The A’ Level student, who would have been 42 this year, received two deep stab wounds which penetrated a lung.

He managed to run more than 200 yards before collapsing and bleeding to death.

His father Neville appealed for witnesses to come forward and told the programme : “One small piece of information can bring it all together.”

In addition to the owner of the handbag strap, cops are seeking a man in a distinctive green jacket with a ‘V’ on the back who was seen in an off-licence two hours before the murder.

Police believe five or six men, now all in their 40’s, were involved in Stephen’s murder.

Drug dealer Gary Dobson was convicted of Stephen’s murder along with gangster’s son Norris in 2012 after new forensic tests linked fibres and hair to clothing seized from their homes after the murder.

Three more suspects, Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, faced a private prosecution for the killing but have never been convicted.

Jamie Acourt is currently on the run after vanishing earlier this year over a £4million cannabis smuggling ring.

— Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the Met Incident Room on 020 8785 8310.