Migrant drug dealer dodges deportation after pledging to ‘only smoke’ Cannabis ‘not sell it’

A Jamaican cannabis dealer, Shawn Rickford McLeod, 40, has avoided deportation from the UK after promising a judge he would only smoke cannabis and not sell it. McLeod, who has lived in the UK for 25 years, was previously convicted of supplying class A drugs and served a three-year prison sentence. Despite this, he successfully appealed his deportation by arguing it would harm his family life, as he has a wife and three children in the UK.

Judge David Chaim Brannan ruled that deporting McLeod would be “unduly harsh” and accepted his claim that he wanted to avoid reoffending to care for his children, even though McLeod admitted he would continue to smoke cannabis. The judge warned that cannabis use is illegal and could lead McLeod back into criminal activity, but ultimately allowed him to stay.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip criticized the ruling as “mind-boggling” and “appalling,” accusing immigration judges of prioritizing the rights of foreign criminals over public safety. He called for changes to human rights laws to prevent such cases.

The Home Office opposed the decision, stating they “vigorously contested” the case and remain committed to deporting foreign criminals. The case has been referred back to a lower court for further review.

McLeod’s case is part of a trend where foreign offenders have used human rights laws to avoid deportation. Recent examples include a Polish man with nine criminal convictions who claimed to be a “father figure” to his nephew, an Albanian criminal who argued his son disliked foreign chicken nuggets, and a Nigerian man who avoided deportation because IVF treatment was unavailable in his home country.