An illegal immigrant from Romania deported from the UK six times in the last seven years for theft and fraud offences has been jailed for two years after returning to Britain again.
Nicu Marin, a 44-year-old with an extensive criminal record, has finally been imprisoned after new legislation gave judges greater sentencing powers.
The father-of-five, who was found living at a terraced home in Leeds, was handed a 27-month jail term.
It is now expected that he will be deported for a seventh time once he has served half of his prison sentence.
Appearing at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Simon Batiste told Marin that the UK had enough ‘homegrown criminals’ before warning him not to return to this country.
He said: ‘Britain has no need for criminals such as you coming into this country. Sadly we have our own homegrown criminals.
‘As such, a deterrent sentence must [be] imposed, especially someone like you [who] has regularly and flagrantly breached a deportation order.
‘You must understand that you are not allowed in the UK and must not return to this country. If you do, the sentences will become longer and longer.’
Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, earlier told the court that that Marin has 20 convictions for 41 offences – many of which are for theft and fraud.
He said Marin was first deported in October 2015, but was back in the UK in 2016 when his name was flagged after he was caught shoplifting.
The Romanian was deported again in November 2016, but two weeks later he came back into the country via Holyhead.
Again he was deported, but was removed from the UK twice more in March 2017 and April 2018.
In November 2019, he was found living at an address in Chapeltown and given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Marin then applied to marry a woman in the UK in September last year, before being arrested at his address in Beeston in November.
He claimed he came back into the country in August last year via Dover and had gained employment.
Mr Ahmed added: ‘Since 2015 he has made a concerted effort and was successful in entering the UK, entering via various ports from Ireland and Northern Ireland.’
Marin, appearing via video link from HMP Doncaster where he was being held on remand, admitted breaching his deportation order.
Andrew Petterson, representing Marin, said in mitigation: ‘He acknowledges it must be a term of imprisonment.
‘He has asked me to apologise to the court on his behalf.’
‘He tells me that his sole motivation is to support his five children who live in Romania and who reside with his 75-year-old mother.’
But Judge Batiste was sceptical about the claim, pointing to Marin’s marriage suggestion.
He said: ‘It’s not clear if it was a legitimate attempt to marry or a sham marriage that was to take place.
‘Your immigration history is appalling. You were aware that were no longer entitled to enter the UK.
‘Since that order was made you have entered the UK on six separate occasions.
‘It’s clearly carefully planned to come to the UK in the full knowledge you are not allowed. It must have involved some deception to gain entry.’
Source: Daily Mail
