An illegal migrant convicted of child sxual offences attempted to sabotage his removal from the UK by swallowing a vape battery shortly before his scheduled deportation flight. The Indian national is said to have swallowed the device in what a High Court judge called a calculated bid to be taken to hospital and evade deportation. The Home Office had arranged the removal of the man, convicted in Scotland last year of sxual activity with a child and supplying Class B drugs, for September 23 after repeated delays caused by the Indian High Commissions failure to issue emergency travel documents, the court heard. But more than two months on, he was still in the UK this week after all removal attempts ultimately collapsed when the Indian officials did not provide the paperwork required. Referred to in court only by his surname Sharma, he was jailed for three years in August 2024, before being released in November last year and immediately transferred to a secure immigration centre. His jail sentence was shortened because he had already spent time in custody before being convicted. The High Court in London also heard that he has failed to comply with bail conditions on several occasions, including committing criminal offences. He was granted release on conditional immigration bail in May, but wasnt actually let out as officials couldnt find approved accommodation for him. Any proposed accommodation had to be approved in order … to ensure that it was not too close to schools, parks and other places where children were likely to be, said Justice Simon Tinkler. Following the incident with the vape battery, another deportation was scheduled for November 6, but Sharma didnt board the flight because the Indian officials still hadnt filed the correct paperwork. As of Tuesday, he remained in immigration detention in Scotland, where the only centre is Dungavel House, 40 minutes south of Glasgow. The judge said keeping him in a secure centre made it far easier to prevent further attempts to disrupt the removal process, such as swallowing dangerous objects before the escort staff arrived. The ruling also acknowledged Sharma may still bring a separate legal claim for compensation if he argues the timeframe of his immigration detention is unlawful. The Home Office told the court his removal was likely imminent and that the claimant posed a risk to the public, given his criminal history, past breaches of bail, and earlier attempt to obstruct removal. Justice Tinkler accepted those arguments, finding that detention remained lawful for the time being.The post Illegal migrant child sx offender swallows vape battery before his flight to halt deportation appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.
