IPP prisoner who served 20 years for stealing 20 could be deported in days

"A father who has spent almost 20 years in prison for stealing 20 has begged the government to halt plans to deport him within days, fearing he faces homelessness in a country he does not know. Sheldon Coore, 47, has lived in Britain since he was 16 months old, when he arrived with his mother to join his Jamaican grandparents who settled during the Windrush era."

"He was handed a controversial imprisonment for public protection (IPP) jail term in 2005 after he put a man in a headlock and stole 20 from his pocket, having already racked up a string of previous convictions when he turned to crime in order to fund his drug addiction. Despite originally being handed a minimum tariff of two years and 65 days, Coore languished in prison for two decades under the widely discredited open-ended jail term, which has since been scrapped."

"On Friday, he was moved to Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport, where he is being held in segregation. He described the transfer process as heavy handed after officers dressed in riot protection gear put him in a body belt restraint device for the journey. He was originally told he would be put on a flight to Kingston, Jamaica's capital city, on Monday, but his legal team is battling to halt this and seeking a judicial review."

Sheldon Coore, 47, has lived in Britain since infancy and faces imminent deportation to Jamaica after serving almost 20 years in prison for stealing 20. He received an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) term in 2005 after assaulting a man and stealing 20 while struggling with drug addiction and prior convictions. His original minimum tariff was two years and 65 days, but he remained detained for two decades under the open-ended IPP, which has since been scrapped. The Home Office intends to deport him rather than release him to his five daughters in Huddersfield. He was moved to Brook House immigration removal centre and is being held in segregation; officers used a body belt restraint during transfer. His legal team is seeking a judicial review as he faces uncertainty about housing, finances, and contact with family if deported.

Read at www.independent.co.uk