Home / Crime and Justice / Court Overturns Ruling: Heroin Dealer Faces Deportation
Court Overturns Ruling: Heroin Dealer Faces Deportation
11 Jul
Summary
- Court of Appeal quashed ruling preventing deportation of drug dealer.
- Dealer used argument of wanting to see son to avoid removal.
- Court found no rational basis for impact on son due to lack of contact.
The Court of Appeal has overturned a legal decision that previously prevented the deportation of Collins Cuthbert Lewis, a 32-year-old convicted drug dealer. Lewis, who arrived in the UK from Dominica at 14 and has been residing unlawfully for 11 years, was convicted of serious drug offenses in September 2019 and again in July 2024. Despite facing deportation proceedings, an immigration judge initially ruled in Lewis's favor, citing "very compelling circumstances" related to his son, mental health, and lack of support in Dominica.
The Court of Appeal, however, found that the lower tribunals had misapplied the law. The court stated there was no rational basis for the previous ruling that deportation would unduly harm Lewis's son, given they had no contact for over six years. Furthermore, the court noted insufficient assessment of mental health evidence and inadequate weight given to the public interest in deporting serious foreign criminals. The case has been sent back for a rehearing before a different tribunal.
