Frances Lawrence Fails to Get Killer Deported

Murdered head teacher's wife expresses frustration at decision

Frances Lawrence, the wife of murdered Head Teacher Philip Lawrence, has expressed her frustration at a court's decision to refuse an application to have the killer deported.

The Home Office wanted to send Learco Chindamo to Italy on his release from prison after he served the sentence for the murder he committed in 1995. He could be released next year of the parole board decide he is unlikely to reoffend. Mrs. Lawrence had been told by Jack Straw when he was Home Secretary that Chindamo would be deported on the completion of his sentence. Straw himself has said that he felt misled by the system as he set the 12 year tariff for Chindamo on the understanding that he would be deported.

Chindamo's lawyers argue that although he is an Italian passport holder he has not visited that country since he was 5 and speaks no Italian. They successfully convinced the courts that it would be a breach of his human rights to deport him. His supporters say he has become a model prisoner who has worked to stop teens falling into a life of crime. He was fifteen when he killed Philip Lawrence.

Before becoming the Head Teacher at St. George's Roman Catholic School in Maida Vale, Philip Lawrence taught at St. Benedict's School on Eaton Rise where he met Frances. She continues to reside in the Ealing area. Her husband was attempting to defend one of his pupils who was being attacked by a gang led by Chindamo when he was stabbed to death.

Mrs. Lawrence remains unconvinced of Chindamo's remorse; he continues to deny stabbing her husband. Mrs. Lawrence has campaigned against knife crime since her husband's death and launched the Philip Lawrence awards to encourage good citizenship amongst the young.

August 24, 2007