London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Nov 15, 2025

Stephen Lawrence murder: Jamie Acourt 'cannot repay £90k' from drugs plot

Stephen Lawrence murder: Jamie Acourt 'cannot repay £90k' from drugs plot

One of the men suspected of murdering Stephen Lawrence in a racist attack has said he cannot pay £90,000 he made from a £3m drugs plot.

Jamie Acourt, 45, was jailed for nine years in 2018 after spending more than two years on the run, living in Spain under the alias Simon Alfonzo.

He was one of five men arrested over the 18-year-old's murder, who was stabbed in south-east London in 1993.

Last January, a court ordered Acourt to pay back the £90,000.

If he did not, the judge at Kingston Crown Court said he would face another year being added to his jail sentence.

The sum has since risen to more than £95,000, as it is accruing interest.

Acourt admitted conspiracy to supply drugs in a scheme which saw about 750kg of cannabis resin, with an estimated street value of £3m, moved between London and South Shields, Tyne and Wear, in 2014-15.

On Tuesday, Acourt asked Westminster Magistrates' Court if he could take the extended sentence which would see him jailed for a further six months.

He is currently due to be released on 3 November.

Acourt was arrested by armed officers as he left a gym in Barcelona


"I'm happy to take the default sentence because I have no way of paying the money," he said, adding: "I can't move to an open prison or anything because of this."

But District Judge Daniel Sternberg said he would not allow Acourt to take the extended sentence while he was in prison and said Acourt had no say in the jail where he is held.

He added: "Even if you serve the default sentence, that does not wipe out the debt you have to pay.

"But it is one of the tools the court has to put some pressure on you to pay."

The judge said the case would be relisted in October, ahead of Acourt's release date.

He was one of the five named suspects of killing black teenager Stephen Lawrence


Of the five men suspected of Mr Lawrence's murder, only two have been convicted over the killing, Gary Dobson and David Norris. They received life sentences in 2012.

Acourt's brother Neil Acourt was also arrested over Mr Lawrence's murder but never convicted. Both have always denied involvement in the attack.

In 2017, he was jailed for more than six years over the same drugs plot.

The fifth suspect, Luke Knight, has remained free.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×