Lawrence jury deliberations go on

30 December 2011 Last updated at 10:06 ET

A-level student Stephen Lawrence was fatally stabbed in south-east London in 1993

The jury in the Stephen Lawrence murder trial is continuing to consider its verdict at the Old Bailey.

The jury, which was first sent out on Thursday, has been given permission to view video evidence as part of its deliberations.

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, and say forensic evidence was contaminated.

Mr Justice Treacy has warned members of the jury to set aside any emotion as they come to their verdict.

The trial, which began at the Old Bailey on 14 November, is in its seventh week.

The court is normally closed throughout the week after Christmas but has been specially opened during the holiday period for this case.

During his summing-up on Thursday, the judge, Mr Justice Treacy, told the jury of four women and eight men that they must "reach verdicts on the basis of cool, calm consideration" and stressed that they could take as long as necessary to reach a verdict.

He told the jurors that to reach a verdict they must answer the question of whether they could be sure that new forensic evidence relating to textile fibres, blood and hair came from Mr Lawrence.

Gary Dobson and David Norris arrived at the Old Bailey earlier in a prison van

If so, they have to be sure it was not contaminated and, if that cannot be excluded, they must return a verdict of not guilty.

The judge also said the jury then had to be sure that the defendants took part in the attack on Mr Lawrence and, if so, they intended to kill him or cause serious harm.

Under joint enterprise they can be convicted of murder if they did not inflict the killer blow, but if they knew someone in the group intended to cause serious harm.