Lawrence judge continues summary

29 December 2011 Last updated at 08:00 ET

Stephen Lawrence was attacked by a group of white youths in south-east London

The judge at the Stephen Lawrence murder trial is continuing to sum up the case at the Old Bailey.

Mr Justice Treacy has warned jurors to set aside any emotion as they consider their verdicts. They are expected to start this process later on Thursday.

Mr Lawrence, 18, was stabbed in a racist gang attack in Eltham, south east London in 1993.

Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, deny murder. The defence says the forensic evidence was contaminated.

Mr Lawrence's parents Neville and Doreen are at the Old Bailey, which is normally closed throughout the week after Christmas but has been specially opened during the holiday period for this case.

Mr Justice Treacy has been setting out the key steps that jurors will need to follow in their route to reaching a verdict.

He has covered the attack, the question of contamination, forensics and the defence case in his summing-up.

'Big talk'

On Thursday he said the jury could only consider "bad character" evidence of a police video if jury ruled out the contamination defence first.

They have previously viewed surveillance footage which showed the defendants using violent racist language.

Mr Justice Treacy said: "Does it show violently racist characters not averse to using knives or was it just the big talk of teenage boys?"

The jury must also consider whether the defendents lied about where they were on the night of the murder. Mr Dobson said he was at home with his parents, while Mr Norris's mother told the court he would have been at home.

The judge said Mr Dobson's parents supported his alibi. But he said the jury must ask why Mr Norris' mother had not told the police of his alibi in 1993.

On Wednesday, the judge said the men could be found guilty if they were party to Mr Lawrence's killing - even if they did not strike the fatal blow. He said manslaughter should only be considered if jurors found the pair not guilty of murder.

Mr Justice Treacy said scientific evidence found in a 2007 review of the case was "of no value" if it was proved to have been contaminated.

He told jurors the case was "real life, not a detective novel" and it was unnecessary to tie up loose ends.

The trial has been adjourned until 14:00 GMT.