07/06/2006

High court judge halts deportation of rapist

The deportation of a convicted rapist has today been halted by a Belfast High Court.

The judge, Mr Justice Weir, granted interim relief of the deportation of 35-year-old Emmanuel Kargbo back to his native Sierra Leone.

Kargbo, 35, a self-proclaimed guerilla terrorist, was convicted in 2003 of raping a student in his house at Sunnyside Street in south Belfast, and received a six-year jail term.

The incident was reported to have happened at the defendants home, after the girl fell asleep on his sofa in February 2001.

Earlier today, Mr Justice Weir set a date of June 19 for the commission to argue for leave for a judicial review of the Home Office's decision to deport Kargbo.

Today's application was made on his behalf by the Human Rights Commission, based on his percieved mental state.

A lawyer acting on behalf of the Human Rights Commission claimed the Home Office had taken the decision to deport Kargbo without taking his mental state and capacity into consideration.

However counsel for the immigration authority today said that Kargbo's stay in Northern Ireland was not conductive for the good of the public.

(EF/SP)

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