The Case of Stephen Lawrence


Book Description

The murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence by a gang of white youths at a bus-stop in south London, and the failure to bring anyone to justice for the crime, outraged the country. In this book Brian Cathcart decribes in detail what happened on the night,and follows step-by-step the police investigation. The result is a riveting and disturbing account of the criminal culture of south-east London, and the workings of the London police.




Hidden Stories of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry


Book Description

In the wake of the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri, this book serves as an important reminder of the 1993 Stephen Lawrence Case, presenting never-before-reported information about the inquiry into his murder. Panel member Richard Stone helps explain why the inquiry has not brought sufficient results, and why it has failed to change institutional racism. Using the case as a springboard, he discusses wider contemporary issues--such as policing practices and double-jeopardy rulings--and the lessons we can learn from the many details of the case that have otherwise been buried. Now available in paperback, this hard-hitting book makes essential reading for academics, students, researchers, and anyone interested in crime, police, and institutional racism.




The Stephen Lawrence Independent Review


Book Description

In July 2012 Mark Ellison QC was commissioned to conduct a review examining allegations of corruption surrounding the initial, deeply flawed, investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. He was also asked to examine whether the Metropolitan Police had evidence of corruption that it did not disclose to the Macpherson Inquiry and thirdly, whether there was inappropriate undercover activity directed at the Lawrence family? On corruption, Ellison finds that specific allegations of corruption were made against 1 of the officers who had worked on the investigation of Stephen Lawrence's murder, Detective Sergeant John Davidson. The allegations were made by a police officer to his superiors but were not brought to the attention of Macpherson. The MPS's record-keeping on its own investigations into police corruption are a cause of real concern. Key evidence was the subject of mass shredding in 2003. Ellison identifies the wholly inappropriate use of an undercover officer during the Macpherson Inquiry. A Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) officer, referred to as N81, had been deployed into one of the groups seeking to influence the Lawrence family campaign, effectively becoming an MPS spy in the Lawrence family camp during the course of judicial proceedings in which the family was the primary party in opposition to the MPS. N81 also met the detective writing the MPS's submissions to the Macpherson Inquiry, a completely improper action. SDS officers also operated as if exempt from the proper rules of disclosure in criminal cases. And this means there is a real potential for miscarriages of justice to have occurred.




And Still I Rise


Book Description

' This book for me is a warning as well as a reminder. May you never experience what I have experienced.' In April 1993, Stephen Lawrence was murdered by a group of young white men on a street in south-east London. From the first police investigation onwards, the case was badly mishandled. In the end, long after the case against the five suspects had been dropped, the government had to give in to mounting pressure and hold a public inquiry, which became the most explosive in British legal history. These facts leave the reader unprepared for Doreen Lawrence's own story of her son's murder. In this raw, honest book, she writes frankly about her childhood, about her struggle for a decent life for herself and her children and her hopes for her bright, motivated son. Her account of the murder and the botched and insensitive investigation by the Metropolitan Police is deeply moving. She recreates the pain, frustration and bafflement she experienced as she realised that there might never be a moment when she could say to herself that justice had been done. A cold case review led to the discovery of DNA evidence in 2009. In November 2011, two of the alleged members of the gang that killed Stephen were finally brought to trial at the Old Bailey. A guilty verdict was pronounced on 3 January 2012. 'To be put alongside Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom or the works of Maya Angelou.' Andrew Billen, The Times




In Pursuit of the Truth


Book Description

The true story behind the ITV series, Stephen Former Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll is most famous for being the man who finally secured convictions for the murder of Stephen Lawrence, a case previously mired by claims of institutional racism and corruption. For Clive, it was the pinnacle of a 35-year career with the world's most famous police force, the Metropolitan Police Service. Clive's prodigious rise through the ranks of the Met saw him front some of the most high-profile units at Scotland Yard. He was put in charge of their policy for sexual offences, domestic violence, child protection and the paedophile unit before heading up the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force tackling their backlist of cold cases. From action-packed moments chasing down criminals to more tender occasions, like gaining the trust of a murder victim's family, to making crucial legal history, and unearthing huge national scandals, In Pursuit of the Truth is the definitive account of modern day policing, its successes and failings included, seen through the eyes of a man who has dedicated his life to making a difference. This is a book that every part of society can learn from.




Silence is Not an Option


Book Description

Silence is NOT an option - use your voice for change. This book will empower you to navigate your world and help to create a morepositive society.




The Stitchers


Book Description

A teenager picks up where her late father left off investigating her peculiar elderly neighbors in this spooky series opener. Something strange is happening on Goodie Lane . . . Thirteen-year-old Quinn Parker knows that there’s something off about her neighbors. She calls them “the Oldies” because they’ve lived on Goodie Lane for as long as anyone can remember, but they never seem to age. Are they vampires? Or aliens? Or getting secret experimental surgeries? Or is Quinn’s imagination just running wild again? If her dad were still around, he’d believe her. When he was alive, they’d come up with all sorts of theories about the Oldies. Now, Quinn’s determined to keep the investigation going with the help of Mike, her neighbor and maybe-crush. They’ll have to search for clues and follow the mystery wherever it leads—even if it’s to the eerie pond at the end of the street that’s said to have its own sinister secrets. But the Oldies are on to them. And the closer Quinn and Mike get to uncovering the answers, the more they realize just how terrifying the truth may be. “What a cool—and wild—ride . . . This is the perfect book for kids to cool off with on a hot day, because the chills come guaranteed,” —Stephen King “A truly creepy read, perfect for fans of “Goosebumps” and Stranger Things.” ?School Library Journal “Reminiscent of R. L. Stine’s Fear Street series, this first book in the Fright Watch series is spooky and mysterious, and it can be counted on to deliver chills to those braving its pages.” ?Booklist “The antagonists are satisfyingly menacing, and Quinn’s struggles—grieving her father’s death, juggling friendships—ground this series opener, giving it a healthy dose of heart.” ?Publishers Weekly




Steve and Me


Book Description

The Stephen Lawrence tragedy - the night that changed race relations in Britain forever - is well known. Duwayne Brooks was Stephen's best friend and this is his story. It is one of friendship, of courage, a story of what really happened on the night of 22 April, 1993. It is also a warm, and in places heartbreaking account of someone who found themselves in circumstances too appalling to contemplate. As Duwayne's own story, the book also focuses on the way he himself was treated, both by his lawyer and the police, and sheds light on the manner in which the whole ordeal has been handled.




Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different


Book Description

Boys can be anything they want to be! This timely book joins and expands the gender-role conversation and gives middle-grade boys a welcome alternative message: that masculinity can mean many things. You won't find any stories of slaying dragons or saving princesses here. In Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different, author Ben Brooks-with the help of Quinton Wintor's striking full-color illustrations-offers a welcome alternative narrative: one that celebrates introverts and innovators, sensitivity and resilience, individuality and expression. It's an accessible compilation of 75 famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule-breaker and stereotype-smasher in his own way. Entries include Frank Ocean, Salvador Dali, Beethoven, Barack Obama, Ai Weiwei, Jesse Owens, and so many more-heroes from all walks of life and from all over the world.




The Husband Poisoner


Book Description

**Shortlisted for the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for True Crime** Shocking real-life stories of murderous women who used rat poison to rid themselves of husbands and other inconvenient family members. For readers of compelling history and true crime, from critically acclaimed, award-winning author Tanya Bretherton. After World War II, Sydney experienced a crime wave that was chillingly calculated. Discontent mixed with despair, greed with callous disregard. Women who had lost their wartime freedoms headed back into the kitchen with sinister intent and the household poison thallium, normally used to kill rats, was repurposed to kill husbands and other inconvenient family members. Yvonne Fletcher disposed of two husbands. Caroline Grills cheerfully poisoned her stepmother, a family friend, her brother and his wife. Unlike arsenic or cyanide, thallium is colourless, odourless and tasteless; victims were misdiagnosed as insane malingerers or ill due to other reasons. And once one death was attributed to natural causes, it was all too easy for an aggrieved woman to kill again. This is the story of a series of murders that struck at the very heart of domestic life. It's the tale of women who looked for deadly solutions to what they saw as impossible situations. The Husband Poisoner documents the reasons behind the choices these women made - and their terrible outcomes.