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Calais child smuggler Rob Lawrie pleads for French leniency Calais child smuggler Rob Lawrie given £1,000 Euro suspended fine
(about 2 hours later)
A former soldier said he wants the authorities in France to deal with him leniently after he was caught trying to smuggle an Afghan child into the UK. A former soldier who was caught trying to smuggle an Afghan child into the UK has been given a suspended fine by a court in France.
Rob Lawrie, 49, from Leeds, said he would admit trying to get Bahar - known as Bru - into the UK when he appears in court in Boulogne later. Rob Lawrie, 49, from Leeds, admitted to a court in Boulogne that he tried to get Bahar - known as Bru - into the UK.
He appeared with the child on his lap at a media conference in the French town on Thursday. He was found guilty of a lesser charge of 'endangering life' because he hid the girl in an unsafe way in a van.
Mr Lawrie said he feared "being made an example of" by the court. Lawrie will only have to pay the fine of £1,000 Euros if convicted of another offence.
'Compassionate country' The decision was met with applause from supporters in the courtroom.
The former carpet cleaner said he acted "stupidly" and disclosed he had bipolar disorder and Tourette's Syndrome.
Before the case started he appeared with the child on his lap at a media conference in the French town.
Lawrie said he feared "being made an example of" by the court.
'Stupid conceived plan'
He told the assembled media: "They see the media attention I have been getting and I think it could go one of two ways.He told the assembled media: "They see the media attention I have been getting and I think it could go one of two ways.
"France has an opportunity to show, as I know they are, a compassionate country.""France has an opportunity to show, as I know they are, a compassionate country."
Mr Lawrie said he regretted his actions and would not repeat the effort. Lawrie said he regretted his actions and would not repeat the effort.
'Don't do it' He told the court he had acted stupidly and irrationally in hiding Bru in the sleeping compartment.
He told others who may be thinking of following his actions: "Don't do it. On a personal level it will ruin your life." Speaking via an interpreter, he told the judge: "I saw the little girl and her father in the work that I was doing. That night I just could not leave her there any more.
Mr Lawrie, an aid worker, was stopped in Calais as he returned home in October 2015. "It was wrong. It was the most stupid conceived plan."
Edge of bankruptcy
Lawrie rejected the idea that he was trafficking for money, telling the judge: "Her father is a farmer from Afghanistan. He doesn't have any money whatsoever."
The aid worker was stopped in Calais as he returned home in October 2015.
The former Army physical training instructor said he was helping build shelters in The Jungle camp when he got to know Bru and her father asked him to help get her to close family members living legally in Leeds.The former Army physical training instructor said he was helping build shelters in The Jungle camp when he got to know Bru and her father asked him to help get her to close family members living legally in Leeds.
He said he was not a hero but "an unemployed carpet cleaner from Leeds" who wanted to help and had never been in trouble before.
He told reporters his actions had left him penniless and on the edge of bankruptcy after giving up to £8,000 of his own money as well as collecting donations for the refugees.
He was caught when British sniffer dogs found two Eritrean men who, unbeknown to him, had also stowed in the back of his van.He was caught when British sniffer dogs found two Eritrean men who, unbeknown to him, had also stowed in the back of his van.