A Belgian national convicted of manslaughter for his role in the 2016 gang-related killing of 18-year-old Abdul Hafidah has avoided deportation from the UK due to a series of mistakes by the Home Office.
William George, 27, who moved to the UK at the age of eight, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his part in the killing, which was described as a “horrifying gang murder” by the Court of Appeal. Despite an order for his deportation by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid in 2018, the Court of Appeal has ruled against the Home Office’s attempts to remove him.
The Court of Appeal criticized the Home Office’s handling of the case, pointing out procedural failures and describing their actions as “unimpressive.” The judges stressed the importance of adhering to procedural rules, noting that the Home Office had tried to rely on a legal argument previously abandoned in a lower court.
George was part of the Manchester-based AO gang, which was engaged in a violent feud with the rival Rusholme Crips, a Libyan-Somali gang. On May 12, 2016, George and other AO members spotted Hafidah in the Moss Side area of Manchester. Hafidah was armed with a knife, and George acted as a scout, delaying Hafidah’s escape and enabling other gang members to catch up.
The court heard that Hafidah was beaten, struck with a hammer, and repeatedly stabbed, including a fatal wound to his neck. George, who was unarmed during the attack, was found to have played a critical role in delaying Hafidah, allowing the gang to catch him. Other members of the AO gang received murder convictions, while George pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Despite his conviction, the Court of Appeal ruled that deporting George to Belgium, where he had not lived since he was eight, would not be justified based solely on the seriousness of his offence. The judges stated that his future risk to public security needed to be the determining factor.
The Home Office expressed disappointment with the ruling and said they are assessing the judgment’s implications. A spokesperson stated, “We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.
The gang members involved in Hafidah’s killing were collectively sentenced to 168 years in prison. The Home Office’s next steps in relation to George’s case remain under consideration.
