Sunday, February 28, 2016

Illegal immigrant who was jailed for dealing cocaine on UK streets and then dodged deportation on Human Rights grounds is BACK behind bars after he carried on peddling drugs

  • Undercover police caught Mohammed Shyheim with £400 of crack cocaine
  • Shyheim, 31, from Burundi had already been jailed for drug dealing in 2008
  • Illegal immigrant released early but fathered child and avoided deportation
  • He has now been jailed again for two years despite calls for his deportation
Jailed: Illegal immigrant drug dealer Mohammed Shyheim avoided deportation on his release from a British prison after fathering a child - only to continue peddling crack cocaine on the UK's streets
Jailed: Illegal immigrant drug dealer Mohammed Shyheim avoided deportation on his release from a British prison after fathering a child - only to continue peddling crack cocaine on the UK's streets
An illegal immigrant drug dealer dodged deportation on his release from a British prison after fathering a child - only to continue peddling crack cocaine on the UK's streets.

Mohammed Shyheim, 31, was sentenced to three years in jail in 2008 for selling cocaine in Sheffield. He has been in Britain illegally for 12 years and never been granted citizenship after fleeing the war-torn East African country of Burundi as a teenager.

Shyheim was considered for deportation on his early release from prison after 18 months, but launched an appeal. He has fathered a child in England which enables him to argue his human rights would be infringed if moves were made to send him home. 

He is no longer with the child's mother.
Yesterday Shyheim was jailed again for two years after undercover detectives caught him in Hull with £400 of crack cocaine, two mobile phones, £90 cash and bank deposit slips for £680.

He claimed to be penniless and unable to work. A judge told Shyheim that no matter how desperate he was he should know better than to deal drugs because he had already served a three-year prison sentence for exactly the same offence.

The immigration service put on hold a decision on whether to deport him until his latest sentencing hearing. They had no idea Shyheim had been locked up and was awaiting sentence until a call was put in to his solicitors.

In 2003 Shyheim, then 18, arrived in Britain illegally. Burundi is judged one of the world's poorest nations plagued by tension between the usually-dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority.

He stayed low on the Home Office immigration service radar because he did not work and did not have a job and denied he claimed £140 a fortnight in benefits. 

Instead Shyheim relied on women he met in the UK to support him financially. Within 12 months of his arrival in the country he was caught handling stolen goods and failing to pay on railways. Shyheim was given police cautions on both occasions.

In April 2008 he was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court for possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply.

He is estranged from his first partner, who has his young child, but his second girlfriend pays his ex partner child maintenance on his behalf from her job so he can still have access and be a parent three days a week. This allows his former partner to go out to work to support their child.

On December 2 2015 Shyheim was spotted by two undercover officers in Hull at 1.55pm. He matched the description of a wanted man and as they approached they feared he was about to run.
Crown barrister Katherine Kioko-Gillighan told Hull Crown Court: 'The officers took hold of him as they feared he would take off. As they did so he dropped a small parcel to the floor. Inside there were 20 rocks of crack cocaine.

'It had an estimated street value of £400, he was found in possession of two mobile telephones, £90 in cash and bank deposits slips for £680.

 He made no comment in police interview.'

Shyheim, of Posterngate, Hull, pleaded guilty to one offence of possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply and appeared for sentence at Hull Crown Court.

Defence barrister Nigel Clive said: 'Because of his status he cannot work, he cannot get benefits. He started nibbling away at what you can see is his criminal behaviour. That is when you see offences of handling stolen goods and non-payment of rail fares. 

'Three years later he was sentenced to three years for dealing in cocaine. Through an ex-partner he has one child. He has custody of that child three days a week. He is not an errant parent. 

'He does pay maintenance. You might ask where does the money come from? There is a lady in the public gallery. They have been together some time. She assists the defendant with his costs.

'She directly pays his maintenance for a child which is not hers. This enables his former partner to work.

Because of his status he cannot work, he cannot get benefits. He started nibbling away at what you can see is his criminal behaviour
Mohammed Shyheim's defence barrister Nigel Clive
'He has a history. He does fall foul of making poor choices. He agreed to look after the drugs for an old associate. It was nearing Christmas. 

He wanted to buy his partner a present and was too proud to ask her for money in order to buy her the present. Then he entered into this agreement.'

Sentencing, Judge Kate Buckingham said Shyheim was caught when he looked ready to run and knew the risks but didn't care.

After ordering Shyheim to stand, she told him: 'Your record shows in April 2008 you got 42 months in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

'When you decided to get involved in this offence you knew what the implications would be, and the risks you were taking. You were motivated by financial advantage and cannot be said to be naïve. Your previous offending gave you good knowledge. 

'You entered the UK illegally and say you are not working and are awaiting for your asylum application to be determined. The problem is, however desperate you say you were, all you were doing was passing on misery - in a different form - to the people who take these drugs.'

Shyheim's girlfriend wept in the dock as he was led away to a prison van.

 A friend said she would still support him in his appeal to stay in the UK.

The case has sparked anger among Shyheim's neighbours in Hull who said he should be deported rather than serve time in prison. 

George Platten, 72, said: 'I don't know why he is still in the UK.

'He was convicted of dealing in drugs and should have been deported.

 The immigration laws are just not working. 

'He has got girls supporting him and they should see what he is like. 

He is a drug dealer on the street selling crack cocaine.

 He is supposed to be fleeing misery and yet brings it here.'

The Home Office was unable to give details of any steps it has taken to deport Shyheim.

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