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| Britain |
| Britain: Deporting Murderer would breach his "human rights" |
| 2007-08-20 |
| The man who stabbed head teacher Philip Lawrence to death is to be allowed to stay in the UK after his lawyers argued deporting him would breach his human rights. Learco Chindamo was 15 years old when he knifed Mr Lawrence in an attack outside St George's Roman Catholic School in Maida Vale, west London, in December 1995. Italian-born Chindamo, now 26 and currently serving a life sentence, won his appeal at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to stay in Britain. The Government today said it was "disappointed" that it cannot deport the killer. Mr Lawrence, 48, was attacked when a gang of 12 youths led by Chindamo went to attack a boy who had quarrelled with a pupil of Filipino origin. The father of four was punched and stabbed by Chindamo as he tried to protect the boy and died the same evening. A Home Office spokesman said: "We believe that foreign prisoners who have committed serious crimes should face automatic deportation from the UK at the end of their sentence. "We will study the judgment and make a decision as to whether to appeal in due course. "We are disappointed that the courts have not upheld our decision to pursue deportation in this case." The Home Office argued in the central London tribunal that deporting Chindamo, whose father is Italian and mother is Filipino, was conducive to the public good and was not disproportionate. Chindamo's lawyers argued he no longer has strong links or family ties with Italy because he has been living in Britain since he was five years old. Alan Gordon, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, branded the decision as "absolute madness". He said: "We trust the Home Office will appeal against this ludicrous decision by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to allow convicted killer, Learco Chindamo, the right to stay in the UK when he is released. "The fact that he may be paroled and back on our the streets as early as next year is in itself disgusting. Life should mean life." |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #2 He should be stabbed to death. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-08-20 19:24 |
| #1 The man is serving a "life" sentence for murder. Apparently he is being paroled after only twelve years. The Brits want to deport him. My take would be to let him serve out his life sentence - in prison. After he dies, it doesn't matter if his remains are deported, shipped back to Italy or dumped in the garbage. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-08-20 17:41 |