LONDON: Lawrence killer a 'present risk'

Lawrence killer a 'present risk'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6957739.stm

Learco Chindamo could be freed next year

The killer of headteacher Philip Lawrence poses a "genuine and present" risk to the public, according to Home Office papers used in a tribunal.

On Monday Learco Chindamo, 26, who stabbed Mr Lawrence in west London in 1995, won an appeal against deportation to Italy, where his father was from.

Chindamo's lawyers told the immigration tribunal that deporting him would breach his human rights.

The Home Office has said it will appeal against the decision.

Chindamo attacked Mr Lawrence as he defended a pupil outside St George's Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Maida Vale.

Chindamo had not been shown to pose a present and serious threat Asylum and Immigration Tribunal report

He was jailed for life at the Old Bailey in 1996 and given a minimum jail term of 12 years - which means he could be free next year.

Details in the written judgement this week, from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, revealed Chindamo had been rated as the highest level of risk and would need to be excluded from certain parts of the UK.

A Home Office letter submitted to the tribunal showed Chindamo had "over-reacted" to situations on several occasions and predicted it would be extremely difficult to find him somewhere to live on release.

"It was considered that he posed a continuing risk to the public and that his offences were so serious that he represents a genuine and present and sufficiently serious threat to the public in principle as to justify his deportation," the judgment said of the Home Office's case.

'Cannot be expelled'

It added that while it was unlikely that Chindamo would re-offend, he was ranked as the highest level of risk, although this was largely due to his notoriety.

But Chindamo's lawyers argued there was no evidence their client was a threat and indeed reports on him had been "very positive" and the Parole Board had been "very impressed".

The tribunal concluded: "Chindamo had not been shown to pose a present and serious threat, and as he is a citizen of an EU country he cannot be expelled.

"That conclusion was sufficient to dispose of the appeal."

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said he will meet Mrs Lawrence to discuss the case.