Britain's Immigration Policy - the Gift That Keeps on Giving

Meet Roberto Malasi, 20.

As a very young child, he was brought to London as a refugee from Angola. His family here subjected him to 'years of wanton malevolence'. This was brought to the attention of Southwark social services - but they didn't wish to appear racist, so they abandoned him to his fate.

He was taken to the Democratic Republic of Congo at 11 years old by his father, who then abandoned him there, in the middle of a civil war.

At 15, he was back in London, with 'indefinite leave to remain'. His father abandoned him yet again, but Southwark Council found him a flat and a place on a business studies course.

Instead he embarked upon a campaign of violent robbery, which culminated in Zainab Kalokoh being shot in the head during the christening of her niece on a Peckham estate.

She was holding the baby in her arms as she was shot dead, and Malasi pulled the trigger. As she lay dying, Malasi and three accomplices ran around the Wood Dane Estate community hall, collecting the guests' valuables.

When they left, they were heard arguing about which one of them had shot the innocent woman dead.

Fifteen days later, Malasi pulled teenager Ruth Okechukwu out of her car in Walworth and stabbed her to death. She had 'disrespected him' during a phone call with one of his friends.

These crimes took place just over two years ago, when Malasi was 18. At his trial, much was made of the fact his childhood was spent in parts of war-torn Africa. Prison chaplain Reverend Paul Fitzpatrick wrote a letter to the court:

Roberto feels a massive sense of guilt and appropriate responsibility for the crime he has committed and the life he has led." The chaplain went on to say it was a tragic irony that Malasi was actually quite intelligent and, had he had the proper education, he could have achieved a great deal in his life.

Mr Fitzpatrick said one of Roberto's ambitions was to work for the United Nations, although this was unlikely ever to be realised because of his crimes.
The chaplain said: "Roberto at no point expressed self-pity but was horrified by what he had become capable of."

Malasi isn't really a violent thug - it was all extenuating circumstances, you see. Still, he was ordered to serve 30 years and will then be deported.

He's still up to his old tricks, however - at HMP Moorland in Doncaster, South Yorks, a prison officer had the audacity to tell Malasi off.

Malasi jumped on the man and repeatedly punched him in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. When explaining why later, Malasi said that the officer had 'disrespected' him.

Yes, that will be the guilt-ridden innocent the reverend described in his letter.