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Stephen Lawrence suspect Gary Dobson 'seemed nervous' Stephen Lawrence probe 'lacked written forensic system'
(about 1 hour later)
One of the men accused of murdering black teenager Stephen Lawrence seemed "nervous" when quizzed during house-to-house inquiries, a court has heard. The trial of two men accused of killing Stephen Lawrence has been told there was no written procedure for handling forensic evidence in the case.
Graham Cooke, then a detective constable, told the Old Bailey that Gary Dobson seemed unsettled when questioned three days after the murder. Exhibits officer Robert Crane told the Old Bailey there was no process to ensure evidence was not contaminated.
Mr Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, both from south London, deny murder. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, both from south London, deny murder.
The prosecution alleges they were among white youths that attacked Stephen, in Eltham, south London, in 1993. The prosecution says DNA evidence links the men to a group of white youths that attacked the black teenager in Eltham, south London, in 1993.
The 18-year-old A-Level student was forced to the ground at a bus stop and then stabbed twice, the prosecution says.The 18-year-old A-Level student was forced to the ground at a bus stop and then stabbed twice, the prosecution says.
Following the teenager's death, Mr Cooke conducted house-to-house inquiries during which Mr Dobson was questioned at his parents' home and asked whether he had been at the scene of the murder that night. Mr Crane told the court that items of clothing were placed in brown paper bags, but not always sealed.
He said there was no written procedure for ensuring that evidence was not contaminated.
And those handling the clothes wore gloves, but not the white forensic suits used today.

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Jury shown police surveillance photos of Gary Dobson and David Norris in days after Lawrence murder”
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BBC home affairs correspondent Matt Prodger said the reliability of scientific evidence was at the heart of the trial.
The prosecution has said textile fibres, and blood and hair matching Mr Lawrence was on clothing seized from the defendants in 1993 and discovered as part of a cold case review in 2007.
But in opening statements, lawyers for Mr Dobson and Mr Norris contended there had been contamination of evidence by the police.
Earlier, an officer who questioned Mr Dobson while on house-to-house inquiries said the defendant had seemed nervous.
Following the teenager's death, Graham Cooke conducted house-to-house inquiries during which Mr Dobson was questioned at his parents' home and asked whether he had been at the scene of the murder that night.
The retired police officer told the court: "Dobson said no, he was at home all night studying. He arrived home from college at 5.30pm, that his mother and father were indoors at the time.The retired police officer told the court: "Dobson said no, he was at home all night studying. He arrived home from college at 5.30pm, that his mother and father were indoors at the time.
"He said that he did not know the victim, he had heard about the incident from the papers.""He said that he did not know the victim, he had heard about the incident from the papers."
"In my opinion he was nervous at the time," said Mr Cooke."In my opinion he was nervous at the time," said Mr Cooke.
The Old Bailey jury was also shown police surveillance photographs of the defendants outside a house in Bournbrook Road in Eltham. The jury was also shown police surveillance photographs of the defendants outside a house in Bournbrook Road in Eltham.
The trial continues.The trial continues.