Stephen Lawrence murder suspect Jamie Acourt jailed over serious crime order breach

One of the original suspects in the murder of Stephen Lawrence has been jailed for six months after flouting a serious criminal behaviour order.

Jamie Acourt, 48, was among those arrested after 18-year-old Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death in a racially-motivated attack in Eltham, south-east London, on 22 April 1993.

He has always denied being involved and has never been convicted over the murder but was jailed for nine years in 2018 for masterminding a two-year £3m drugs plot.

Acourt, who spent two years on the run living in Spain under the alias Simon Alfonzo before he was extradited to the UK, was released from prison in November 2022 after serving half his sentence.

But he has been sent back to jail after breaching a serious criminal behaviour order - imposed by the judge at Kingston Crown Court - by failing to tell police he was driving a white transit van on 12 separate occasions between 11 August and 21 October.

Acourt pleaded guilty to the charge, as well as driving without insurance, and was jailed for six months and had six points put on his licence at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court last month, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed.

The Metropolitan Police said the offences related to an incident in Park Way, in Hounslow, west London, on 21 October.

According to court documents seen by Sky News, he was handed a custodial sentence "because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders".

When Acourt was brought before a court for failing to pay back £90,000 he made from the drugs plot last year, he claimed he was earning £3,600 a month as a courier but had been offered a job with construction firm.

His brother Neil Acourt, who was also arrested over Mr Lawrence's murder, was jailed for more than six years over the same drugs conspiracy.

Some 750kg of cannabis resin, with an estimated street value of about £3 million was moved between London and South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

Gary Dobson and David Norris were handed life sentences in 2012 after being found guilty of Mr Lawrence's murder at the Old Bailey.

A fifth suspect Luke Knight has remained free, while Matthew White, who was arrested twice over the killing but never prosecuted, died aged 50 before he was named as a suspect after a BBC investigation last year.

(c) Sky News 2024: Stephen Lawrence murder suspect Jamie Acourt jailed over serious crime order breach