• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• Rolan Adams murderer jailed for life.

Rolan Adams murderer jailed for life.

01 November 1991

Mark Thornburrow, a 19 year old white youth from Thamesmead, has been found guilty, and jailed for life, for the murder of a black youth, fifteen year Rolan Adams, last February (see Statewatch 3). Rolan had been standing at a bus stop with his brother, Nathan, when they were racially abused by a group of white youths who had been drinking at the nearby Wildfowler pub. Thornburrow then stabbed Rolan in the neck with a butterfly knife. During the trial both the prosecution and the defence attempted to underplay the racist motive, but Judge Kenneth Richardson was "satisfied that there were racial overtones."

Following Rolan's death the fascist British National Party (BNP) attempted to exploit the situation by marching through Thamesmead and attacking a meeting addressed by black American activist, the Reverend Al Sharpton, who offered support to the Adams family.

After the successful prosecution of BNP deputy leader Richard Edmonds by Rochdale council for the illegal display of their stickers, London's Greenwich council have warned the BNP that they will prosecute them if any of their stickers appear in the borough. Greenwich's leader Quentin Marsh said: "In a multi- racial borough like Greenwich many residents find the BNP stickers extremely offensive and threatening. I am issuing a public warning to Richard Edmonds and his nazi friends that peddling their filthy slogans in this borough could prove very expensive."

Caribbean Times, 17.9.91; Guardian, 17.10.91