A Somali migrant granted the right to stay in the United Kingdom despite 33 previous convictions has been imprisoned for drug dealing just weeks later.
Abdi-Mahad Osamon sold an undercover police officer cocaine and crack cocaine, and urged him to also try his “very good” heroin, BirminghamLive reports.
Judge Robert Brown sentenced Osamon to a minimum term of five years and seven months — discounted from seven due to a his guilty plea — under a supposed “three strikes” rule, as he had two previous convictions for dealing Class A drugs already.
All told, the Somali had acquired 33 previous convictions since his arrival in Britain — in unreported circumstances — for crimes including driving offences, crimes against the person, and drug possession, in addition to the drug dealing considered in the “three strikes” ruling.
Osamon’s lawyer attempted to discourage the judge from invoking the “three strikes” rule by pointing out that one of his previous drug dealing convictions had involved peanut dust, with which the Somali had tried to deceive his cutomer(s), and no actual narcotics — but Judge Brown ruled that offering class A drugs for sale, bogus or not, was a drugs supply offence in itself.
“He’s done it twice before and that’s not mentioning all his other convictions,” he remarked, telling Osamon: “Although there may be others above you in the chain and others who control you, you are, at 31, a man responsible for your own actions. I do not think five years and seven months is unjust.”
Osamon is unlikely to actually serve five years and seven months in custody, however, as it is standard in Britian for convicts given determinate sentences to be released on licence halfway, or in exceptional cases two-thirds of the way, into their sentence.
Currently available offer no indication that any moves are being made to revoke the migrant’s right to stay in the United Kingdom, still less to deport him after his sentence.
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