A Jamaican drug dealer avoided deportation by promising to only smoke, not sell, cannabis in the UK.
A drug dealer from Jamaica avoided deportation. He promised he’d only smoke cannabis and said he wouldn’t sell it anymore.
Shawn Rickford McLeod arrived in Britain in 2000. He was ordered deported after a jail term of three years, four months, for supplying class A drugs three times.
McLeod appealed, citing his family rights under Article 8 of the European Convention, which protects family life. He has three young kids with his wife in the UK.
Judge David Chaim Brannan heard the appeal and decided deporting McLeod would be “unduly harsh.” McLeod said he wanted to avoid crime and care for his children. He admitted he would still use cannabis.
The Telegraph reported his admission to officers, and he also told Judge Brannan of his cannabis plans. He stated this would continue whether he stayed or not.
The Home Office challenged the ruling.
The upper tribunal heard the Home Office challenge. Judge Karim-ullah Akbar Khan found a “material error” and ordered the case reheard this year. Judge Khan cited “inadequate and confused reasoning,” noting he knew McLeod intended to keep using cannabis.
An Albanian criminal also avoided deportation because his son disliked foreign chicken nuggets.
Klevis Disha, 39, entered the UK illegally as an unaccompanied minor using a fake name. He falsely claimed Yugoslavian birth.
His UK citizenship was stripped in 2021 after he served two years for a crime, possessing £300,000 from criminal proceeds.
A tribunal said deporting him was “unduly harsh” because of his 10-year-old son, “C,” who wouldn’t return to Albania due to food sensitivities.
He disliked “the type of chicken nuggets abroad,” a reason that appeared in court documents.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper appealed the judgment in August, arguing there wasn’t enough evidence. She argued deporting Disha wouldn’t be “unduly harsh” on his son.
A Home Office spokesperson gave a statement, contesting this case last year. They said they do not agree with the judgment.
They want to remove foreign criminals swiftly, as it is in the public interest to do so, and they see no deportation barriers.