Fury as criminals avoid deportation because Human Rights lawyers say broken O2 mast stopped them getting legal advice

BORIS Johnson has reacted with fury after criminals managed to avoid deportation because Human Rights lawyers claimed a broken O2 phone mast stopped them getting legal advice.

The government had aimed to deport 42 offenders this morning, only for a last minute court order to keep 25 “serious criminals” in Britain.

A judge insisted some of the detainees had not been able to get proper access to legal representation.

The decision comes despite legal advice also being possible through emails, landlines and face-to-face visits.

Now the Prime Minister has lashed out at the decision which keeps criminals in Britain.

As an anti-deportation rally took place outside Downing Street, a No10 spokesman said: “We make no apology whatsoever for seeking to remove serious foreign national offenders.”

The 25 will now be eligible to go free on bail.

Among the deportees are believed to be a 23-year-old man jailed for 15 months for drug offences and a 40-year-old man jailed for seven years for a stabbing.

Those on board are understood to have served a massive total of 75 years in prison.

Unleashing a salvo on the courts, the spokesman also claimed the decision would hit the public straight in the wallet.

He said: “The taxpayer will now be left with an even bigger bill and the prospect of convicts who are considered to pose a threat to the UK being granted bail while this matter is resolved."

'VIOLENT OFFENCES'

Downing Street revealed 17 were deported despite the ruling and "between them they have amassed sentences of 75 years for offences which have included rape, possession of firearms, violent offences including ABH and GBH and the supply of Class A drugs".

The Government has already promised to review the judicial review process.

A senior Tory source said the situation "makes the case perfectly to the public about why such a review is needed and why certain parts of Westminster still haven't learned the lesson from the 2019 election".

One of those who avoided the departure was a dad who has been in Britain since he was 11.

Reshawn Davis, who has a baby with his British wife, was detained last Friday and told he would be removed to Jamaica.

He was convicted under the "joint enterprise" law that was used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants "could" have foreseen violent acts by their associates.

The 30-year-old was told he was being booted out the UK because of a robbery conviction from 10 years ago.

Mr Davis, who lives with his Brit wife and six-month-old daughter in northwest London, has not committed any crime since his conviction.

He said: "I'm terrified to go to Jamaica. My cousin was deported and he has now died. People will be hostile to me because I've been deported. I'm going to be targeted."

A Home Office spokesman said: "We make no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders.

"The court ruling does not apply to all of the foreign national offenders due to be deported and we are therefore proceeding with the flight."

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