Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Autistic man in a new fight to clear name
Woman tried to take her own life after the incident
AN autistic man facing deportation for a crime he says he did not commit has launched an appeal against his conviction.
Osime Brown, 22, who has a learning age of six to seven, served five years for robbery of a friend’s phone despite witnesses saying he tried to stop the crime.
His mum Joan Martin, 54, said: “We are in the process of appealing the criminal conviction.
“Osime pleaded not guilty... and friends of the victim support his claim.
“We will ask how was he left in a situation where he could be convicted.”
PARDON
Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone is considering requesting a pardon.
He said: “The Home Office must review this as a matter of urgency.”
Osime, who developed PTSD and a heart problem in jail, is also waiting for a decision on his appeal against deportation to Jamaica. He left the Caribbean island aged four and has never been back.
He has no family links or friends on the island.
More than 70 MPs are backing Osime. This week MPs wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel asking her to drop the deportation.
A petition has also been signed by 365,000 people.
Joan fears Osime will die if he is deported. She said: “For him it’s torture, like being on death row.”
SHIP
A NAVY captain was sacked for kissing a vulnerable cadet during a boozy session on board his ship.
Captain Miles Lewis, 51, whose career with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary spanned more than 30 years, was given the boot for “bullying and harassment”.
His victim – in her early 20s – is speaking out about her ordeal to show that sexist behaviour is still rife in the Armed Forces.
The cadet, who wishes to remain anonymous, was a new recruit on RFA Tiderace when the incident happened last May.
The woman was so traumatised by it, she selfharmed in her cabin in a bid to take her own life.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, she said: “I want women who are thinking about a career in the RFA or the military to know how difficult it can be for them.
“Women are not always treated with respect. It is tough.”
The cadet and Captain Lewis – who was in command of the ship – had been drinking vodka with other crew members for about four hours on the evening of the incident. By half past midnight, everybody else had left the
NAMED & SHAMED Captain Lewis on his birthday last May ship’s bar. The cadet, who admits she had been “struggling a bit with ship life”, said: “He asked me how it was going and I was honest with him. I told him I was missing my family and got a bit upset.
“He offered to give me a hug, which I found a bit weird. But as I tried to pull away, he forced a kiss. I was so shocked, I ran from the room.”
The next day, the cadet told her First Officer what happened and when RFA Tiderace docked at Birkenhead, Merseyside, she left the ship straight away.
Captain Lewis was sacked for gross misconduct following a hearing in July. The cadet has since left the RFA – a civilian branch of the Royal Navy that supports military operations – because she feared she would face discrimination. But she says: “If you are struggling or if this has happened to you, then report it because you will be heard.”
When approached at his £675,000 home on a private estate by Portsmouth harbour, Mr Lewis refused to comment.
A Royal Navy spokesman confirmed Mr Lewis had been dismissed for gross misconduct and added: “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and personnel are disciplined however appropriate.”
Women are not always treated with respect in the military. FEMALE CADET ON HER TREATMENT IN RFA
Zara Mohammed has become the first woman to lead the Muslim Council of Britain.
It’s an umbrella Muslim body with more than 500 affiliated national and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
Its purpose is to empower British Muslims by removing barriers to integration.
Zara said: “My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body; one which is driven by the needs of British
Muslims for the common good.”
I wish her well and hope her leadership will help towards more tolerance.