Prime Suspects

Four retired detectives who ran The First Stephen Lawrence murder investigation will not face criminal prosecution for their actions in the case, The Bbc has been told.

The Crown Prosecution Service made its decision after considering a file of evidence for nearly three years.

An official Public Announcement is due later on Thursday.

The officers had been investigated by The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Stephen Lawrence , 18, was murdered in April 1993 in Eltham, South London , in a racist attack by a gang of young white men.

The disastrous initial investigation failed to bring anyone to justice. Two of Stephen's murderers were eventually jailed in 2012.

The retired officers investigated by the IOPC are:

In 1999 a public inquiry led by Sir William Macpherson said The First Lawrence murder investigation was " marred by a combination of professional incompetence, Institutional Racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers".

The Macpherson report was highly critical of Mr Crampton, Mr Weeden and Mr Ilsley for the decision not to make quick arrests - arrests did not take place for Two Weeks despite police receiving information implicating four of the Prime Suspects within 24 hours of the stabbing.

In 1997 an investigation by The Police watchdog had also been critical, but only and therefore available for a disciplinary process.

The IOPC investigation which led to the referral to the CPS was a spin-off from an NCA investigation that started in 2014 into allegations of corruption against another Officer - John Davidson - who worked on The First Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

The NCA investigation followed an official review by barrister Mark Ellison KC, which said there were outstanding lines of inquiry into allegations that Mr Davidson was in a corrupt relationship with The Father of David Norris , one of Stephen's killers.

The claims were made by Mr Davidson 's former colleague, Neil Putnam, a corrupt Officer turned super-grass.

Mr Putnam, who did not work on the Lawrence murder inquiry, alleged that Mr Davidson had admitted the corrupt relationship to him. Davidson denied the claims.

John Davidson was told in 2019 that he was no longer under investigation because there was no evidence of corruption on his part in relation to the Stephen Lawrence case.

The National Crime Agency then investigated Mr Putnam and passed a file to the CPS to consider whether he should be charged with perjury. The CPS has decided he will not be charged.

The IOPC investigation ended up focusing on The Four senior officers from The First murder investigation, and their handling of the early part of the case.

In 2020, the IOPC passed a file of evidence to the CPS, which was asked to consider whether they may have committed The Criminal offence of misconduct in public office.

The Criminal offence of misconduct in public office is committed when The Office holder acts - or fails to Act - in a way that constitutes a breach of the duties of that office.

Source of news: bbc.com