Gang of racists ‘took 10 seconds to kill Stephen then walked off’

After the attack, and reeling from two stab wounds, the A-level student then “ran for his life”, hospital worker Royston Westbrook told the jury.

He was the first of three witnesses who gave their accounts of the night Mr Lawrence was killed in Eltham, south east London, in April 1993.

Mr Westbrook told the jury that he initially thought the teenager had only been punched.

He said: “It was so quick, it really was quick – it was about 10 seconds – and my impression going away from that was that they managed to punch him and that was it.”

He said that Mr Lawrence got back to his feet almost as soon as he was forced to the ground.

Mr Westbrook added: “He basically crossed over the road and ran for his life up the hill.”

He said that the four or five white youths who had staged the attack then just walked away.

“They stood there for a few seconds and then walked off towards Dickson Road casually.”

Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, both of south London, deny murdering Mr Lawrence.

Mr Westbrook told the court that a group of white youths “collided” with Mr Lawrence and his friend Duwayne Brooks. He added: “They just collided – that is what it looked like.

“They were just heading towards each other and that was it.”

The eyewitness, who was on his way home from working at Grove Park Hospital that night, did not see any weapon.

Re-living the attack, he said: “They grabbed Duwayne Brooks’ wrist but he turned his wrist and just pulled away.

“Duwayne ran towards the bus stop where we were standing and turned round and shouted something like ‘Leg it, Steve’ or ‘Run, Stephen’.”

One of the attackers then lifted his leg to try to kick Mr Lawrence.

The court was told: “He lifted his leg backwards to give him a good kick. As he did that, Stephen came up between his legs, struggled up and ran up the road in the same direction as Duwayne Brooks had gone.”

Mr Westbrook added: “From my viewpoint, it was a completely unprovoked attack. They did nothing to justify it.” A youth who got on the bus with him said: “It looks like they got him because he was black, doesn’t it?”

Frenchwoman Alexandra Marie, was working in England as an au pair for six months at the time of the murder.

She told the jury that Mr Lawrence did not fight back when he was attacked by the gang.

She was waiting at a bus stop with Mr Westbrook when Mr Lawrence was killed.

She said: “There were some white men who were like kicking him and holding him at the same time, but the young man did not reply.

“He tried to protect himself.”

Joseph Shepherd was also at the bus stop, travelling home from his then girlfriend’s house. He knew Mr Lawrence by sight because he lived on a neighbouring estate.

Mr Shepherd described the white men “shouting and cheering” while they attacked Mr Lawrence and Mr Brooks.

Prosecuting, Mark Ellison QC asked him: “What happened when they met?”

Mr Shepherd replied: “A load of fists and then they just bundled in on top of them.”

Mr Brooks managed to pull free, but Mr Shepherd said that he saw the group “bundling” on top of Mr Lawrence.

He said there had been “a load of punches and kicking as he was on the ground”.

The trial continues today.