THE NAMING of a sixth suspect almost 30 years after the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence has made a “mockery of justice,” an ex-top cop has said.

Leroy Logan, a former Met Superintendent, told The Voice that he doubts change in the scandal-ridden force will take place and that the Lawrence family will finally have justice since their son was stabbed in south-east London in April 1993.

David White, who died aged 50 in 2021, was revealed as being another suspect in the tragic case that has dogged Britain’s biggest police force. 

Out of the five suspects originally named it was just two, Gary Dobson and David Norris, who were finally sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in 2012. 

Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt were named publicly as the other suspects. 

White had previously been named, but only as a witness during the trial of Dobson and Norris.

The BBC discovered how the police mishandled important information about the sixth suspect that could have led to his prosecution. 

Logan said the four outstanding suspects who have managed to run free are “laughing at the justice system” due to the police’s litany of errors. 

“The police have been complicit in all of this. It’s not just institutional racism, corruption and incompetence, it’s how they have protected each other all the way throughout the 30 years. It’s a beggar’s belief how bad the police are, but I’m not surprised,” he said.

Following Stephen’s murder, a relative of White has spoken to the police and said believed a relative of his had been present on the day the 18-year-old he was stabbed. 

It would be two decades later that the police would speak to the same relative who said that White had admitted to being present during the racist attack in Eltham.

In May, Duwayne Brooks, who was with Stephen on the night he was murdered, told The Voice a total of six men were involved. 

He said: “It was six of them and unless all six went down for murder, there’s no justice.”

Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association, told The Voice it was a “complete shock” that it took a journalist to uncover that there was a sixth suspect all along. 

“There weren’t just one or two opportunities that were missed. There were three or four different things…coupled together it made it seem it was a little more than mistakes, it was incompetence,” he said.

The explosive BBC investigation also reminded how the former Met Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, had informed the detective piecing together the Lawrence case to shelf it in 2014.

Det Chief Insp Clive Driscoll helped to imprison Dobson and Norris in 2012, but was told to retire from the force despite credible lines of inquiry left unturned. 

In 2020, the Met said “all identified lines of enquiry have been completed”.

Logan blasted the ex-top boss’ decision when news first emerged in 2021 that the unsolved case would be axed. 

“When Cressida Dick declared the Lawrence case was not going to be investigated and everyone knew that she didn’t need to do that. She needs to understand the importance of that case for the Black community and the wider public,” he said.

“She has done her utmost to be an obstruction to justice, you would think she would hold these officers to account but she seems to be part of the problem and these officers are laughing at the justice system. It’s made a mockery of what is supposed to be justice.”

After facing growing calls to resign, Dick was pushed out of the Met after a catalogue of mounting scandals under her leadership in February 2022. 

Since the shock revelation, critics have called for her and the officers involved to be held to account and some cases even prosecuted. 

George said Dick’s decision to close the case now means she has “a lot of questions to answer” and that “anybody that has failed to do their job or covered anything up” needs to be held responsible. 

Following the 1997 Macpherson Report, the Met was branded as “institutionally racist” and was slammed with the same label in 2023 after the controversial Casey Review.

Dick’s successor, Sir Mark Rowley, stirred up old wounds when he refused to accept Baroness Louise Casey’s term for the Met almost 30 years later, calling it “politicised” and “ambiguous”.

Failing to accept the label, Logan said, means the Black community can’t trust the new top boss to finally make lasting change for the Black community. 

“The Casey Review realised and one of this is a recommendation for a London policing board which I believe with the right people will hold the police to account, but to say he would do it on his own – no chance,” he said. “He as an individual should be showing ethical leadership and acknowledging the level of the problem. He’s a real disappointment to say the least.”

Despite the countless reviews into the Met, George said an analysis into failings surrounding the sixth suspect needed to be given the green light by Sir Mark Rowley. 

“For me, it’s a longer term process in rebuilding trust with the community in London. It starts with that admission of institutional racism. I’ve said it before when he chooses to not admit those two words, he’s telling the rest of the community that he’s putting the trust of  the workforce above the trust of the community, which is wrong in itself,” he said.

“That institutional racism label shouldn’t be something that’s feared, it should be a catalyst for change. We’ve heard apologies, it’s not making any difference. How many times can the Met apologise but refuse to reform or change things? It’s just repeat behaviour. The only thing he can do is ask another force to look into the case and not just review it, but follow it through to its conclusion.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said: “The impact of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and attack on Duwayne Brooks, and subsequent inquiries, continues to be felt throughout policing.

“Unfortunately, too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation and the impact of them continues to be seen.

“On the 30^th anniversary of Stephen’s murder, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for our failings and I repeat that apology today.”