THE Government today said it was "disappointed" that it cannot deport the killer of headteacher Philip Lawrence.
Learco Chindamo, currently serving life, has won his appeal at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to stay in Britain.
He was 15 years old when Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death in an attack outside St George's Roman Catholic School in Maida Vale, west London in December 1995. Mr Lawrence had been protecting a pupil.
Lawyers for Italian-born Chindamo, now 26, argued that deporting him to Italy would breach his human rights.
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.
Disappointed
"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.
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 and died the same evening.
Chindamo, a member of the Wo-Sing-Wo gang - which aspired to be the juvenile equivalent of the Triads - has always claimed another youth was the killer.
He claimed he was the victim of mistaken identity as the other youth was wearing his jacket, and that he was 30 feet away from the murder scene.
Chindamo was ordered to be detained indefinitely after a jury found him guilty of the crime.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Lawrence killer will stay in UK
August 21, 2007
Learco Chindamo
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
PW, Manchester (21/08/2007 at 09:11)
Ms D, Manchester (21/08/2007 at 09:12)
PW, Manchester (21/08/2007 at 09:23)
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 09:24)
In the UK, we have a division of power to limit the ability of any group to abuse their power. For that reason, it is the job of the government to create the law and the job of the courts to enforce the law. Governments should never be allowed to get involved in the enforcement of the law.
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 09:46)
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 10:05)
The ECHR was established following World War Two, driven largely by Winston Churchill, to prevent any possible repeat of Nazi Germany.
European human rights laws have nothing to do with the EU and actually pre-date the EU by many years.
tricia jonson (21/08/2007 at 10:13)
The Catcher, In the Rye (21/08/2007 at 10:17)
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 10:23)
Over the weeks reading the letters on the MEN ive noticed that you seem to police the letters telling everybody they are wrong and you are right? are you some form of self righteous policeman of the MEN? you tell people when their grammer is wrong or theve spelt something wrong or if they dont get something right to the letter of the law right?.This postbag is not just about getting things right to the letter of the law. its for people to let off steam and get ""THEIR"" idea of whats going wrong with the world .right or wrong mate we all have a view and a way of telling people how we feel and who we think is right or wrong the.the world dosnt need yet more policemen like you telling them they are wrong in what they say?
gillykins, urmston (21/08/2007 at 10:26)
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 10:32)
In terms of this case, on the face of it, I don’t see a major problem with deporting an Italian national to Italy, but, unlike most of the self-righteous idiots on here, I don’t think the small amount of information available in a brief newspaper article is enough to form a complete opinion on.
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 10:36)
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 10:48)
If you don't like somebody telling you that something you've posted is factually inaccurate, go away and learn what you're talking about.
I've no desire to police anybody's postings, I support complete freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean that opinions formed out of ignorance shouldn't be treated with the contempt they deserve.
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 10:52)
The Catcher, In the Rye (21/08/2007 at 10:55)
Carry on ace - you have a big following on here, whereas Black Flag is a voice crying in the wilderness (or just another 2nd year law student).
PW, Manchester (21/08/2007 at 11:03)
The people who use such phrases would change their tune very quickly if they or their family became victim to the scummy criminals they always try to defend.
Today's pc requirements and wide use of the term "racist" are obviously meant to shame and shut people up these days. Well, we won't shut up, even if they do eventually manage to put the thought police into practical action. Ace can have his opinions. He isn't going round harming anyone. He is reacting to what he sees around him, and is entitled to do so.
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 11:05)
Quite frankly, if I am outnumbered, that's fine. I'm more interested in what the facts say, not what a majority, who may or may not be well informed, believe.
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 11:08)
Blackflag.THIS MAN KILLED A SCHOOL TEACHER IN COLD BLOOD WITH A LARGE KNIFE.We dont need to read a brief newspaper article .the man was found guilty.
ace, manchester (21/08/2007 at 11:12)
You have put it exactly like it is.how i see things around me. i dont think im on my own either i think most people feel the same.The innocent are the ones who are not protected.By this government or europe sorry "the EU"
Black Flag (21/08/2007 at 11:16)
After all, lefty PC idiots have been telling us for years that our opinions are all equally valid, so we don't need to waste time with facts, do we?
Mike S, Manchester (21/08/2007 at 12:02)
It's the government which introduced the Human Rights Legislation and it's only up to the courts to interpret and apply it, which they do, on the whole, correctly. The government made no provisions for exceptions in cases of convicted criminals like in this case. The court cannot impose something which doesn't exist, otherwise that would have been an automatic right to appear for Chindamo as the court would have acted unlawfully.
It's a terribly-drafted piece of legislation and it's the government's fault that it got rushed through without proper consideration so that we're ending up with all these ridiculous problems.
The lawyer for Chindamo had to act in his client's best interests and was successful. Can you blame him for being good at his job?
In America, they block entry to convicted criminals and routinely deport convicted foreigners. If it's unfair that Chindamo should be deported to a country where he doesn't speak the language, why don't they spend the remainder of his sentence teaching him intensive Italian so that he could cope upon relase and deportation? He's got nothing else to do in prison!
gillykins, urmston (21/08/2007 at 13:00)
Appalled Citizen, Swinton (21/08/2007 at 13:10)
mauger, Germany (21/08/2007 at 14:44)
Pescado (21/08/2007 at 19:51)
British Justice!!!Pathetic.