Lawrence killers to appeal

LONDON, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Gary Dobson, convicted of killing Stephen Lawrence because the London high school student was black, has appealed the verdict, court officials said Monday.

Dobson's co-defendant, David Norris, is also expected to appeal, The Daily Telegraph reported. Dobson, 36, was sentenced to a life with a minimum of 15 years and 2 months and Norris to life with at least 14 years and 3 months.

"I think British justice can be very proud of the fact that they have locked up an innocent man," Dobson's father, Stephen, said. "Of course we are going to appeal."

Lawrence, who hoped to become an architect, was stabbed in 1993 as he and a friend waited for a bus in South London. An investigative report suggested racism the Metropolitan Police led to a botched investigation.

The appeal is expected to focus on whether the judge should have allowed jurors to hear recordings made secretly by police in one defendant's apartment, The Guardian reported. Several people were recorded making racist statements.