Lawrence killing leak hit inquiry

A LEAKED story about the re-opened investigation into the race murder of Stephen Lawrence had a “negative” effect on the inquiry, the officer who led it claimed.

Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll, who led the Metropolitan Police’s inquiry into Mr Lawrence’s killing, said the Daily Mail story about advances in the investigation came just hours after a meeting with Mr Lawrence’s mother and lawyers.

He told the Leveson Inquiry into press standards yesterday that after the story, a witness was approached by a suspect.

Mr Driscoll said the meeting on 7 November, 2007 finished at 8:30pm and while he was on the train home, he received a call saying a story would be running in the Daily Mail the next day.

“The information within the Mail certainly was the information we gave to that meeting, with the exception of the terminology used,” he told the inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice.

He said he had “nothing but respect” for Stephen Wright, who wrote the article, but said the story did have a negative effect on the investigation.

“The bit I can’t understand is why, when you get there, you would then do anything to undermine it,” he said.