Gary Dobson, one of two men convicted of murdering black teenager Stephen Lawrence in a racially motivated attack in 1993, has made his first bid for parole. The Parole Board confirmed the Ministry of Justice has referred Dobson's case for review, a move set to be opposed by Stephen Lawrence's parents, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence. While prisoners are not required to admit guilt to secure release, continued denial of involvement typically counts against them, meaning Dobson may effectively need to acknowledge his role in the killing for the first time.

Dobson, now 51, and David Norris, 50, were jailed for life in 2012 following new scientific evidence, including a bloodstain on Dobson's jacket matching Stephen Lawrence's blood, after decades of campaigning for justice by the Daily Mail. Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death by a group of white youths near a bus stop in Eltham in April 1993, and Dobson was given a minimum term of 15 years and two months. Norris, whose minimum term was 14 years and three months, was refused parole last December after admitting punching Stephen but refusing to name other attackers; the Parole Board said it cannot yet confirm when Dobson's hearing will take place or whether it will be held in public.