Gang member jailed for life in London for ambulance murder

A Ugandan man, known only as ZM, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006 for the brutal murder of Eugen Breahna in the back of an ambulance. ZM, a member of a North London gang, attacked Breahna with baseball bats and golf clubs. At the time of the murder, ZM was 18 years old and has since been incarcerated for over 16 years. The Home Office sought to deport him to Uganda upon his release, but a judge ruled against this action. The court found that deporting ZM would violate his human rights due to his mental health issues, which include a psychiatric disorder characterized by pervasive distrust and suspiciousness. His lawyers argued that returning to Uganda would be traumatic and detrimental to his mental health, as he would be isolated from his support system, including his mother who resides in the UK. The senior immigration judge, Christopher John Hanson, concluded that the necessary mental health treatment for ZM was unavailable in Uganda. He expressed concern that deportation would lead to a rapid and irreversible decline in ZM's mental health, resulting in significant suffering. This decision reflects the broader implications of human rights considerations in deportation cases, particularly for individuals with mental health conditions. ZM's case is part of a larger backlog of 27,000 appeals awaiting resolution in the UK courts, highlighting the increasing challenges faced by the immigration system. The Refugee Council anticipates a surge in appeals, many of which will contest deportation on human rights grounds, further complicating the legal landscape for such cases.