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Former soldier tells court decision to smuggle child refugee was irrational Former soldier tells court decision to smuggle child refugee was irrational
(about 1 hour later)
The British former soldier accused of trying to smuggle a four-year-old refugee across the Channel has said he made an “irrational and stupid decision” that he had not thought through. The British former soldier accused of trying to smuggle a four-year-old refugee across the Channel has said he made the “irrational and stupid decision” to help the girl after she fell asleep on his knee.
Rob Lawrie, 49, wept as he gave evidence at the tribunal in the northern French town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Rob Lawrie wept as he gave evidence at the tribunal in the northern French town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where he was accused of “assisting in the illegal movement of a foreigner”.
Asked why he had hidden the Afghan girl, Bahar Ahmadi, who he had met in the refugee camp known as the Jungle, near Calais, he said: “She is a child. She’s four years old. She has family who live near me and I had bonded with her. The charge was thrown out by a judge on Thursday but the 49-year-old, from Guiseley in Leeds, was found guilty of putting a child’s life in danger and given a €1,000 fine that was suspended.
“It was a cold night. She had fallen asleep on my knee. I could not leave her there in a tent.” Asked why he had hidden the Afghan girl, Bahar Ahmadi, whom he had met on a trip to the Calais refugee camp known as the Jungle, he said: “She is a child. She’s four years old. She has family who live near me and I had bonded with her. It was a cold night. She had fallen asleep on my knee. I could not leave her there in a tent.”
Lawrie, from Guiseley, Leeds is accused of “assisting in the illegal movement of a foreigner”, a charge that carries up to five years in jail if convicted. He added: “This was, first of all, out of character and second, very stupid. In all honesty, I didn’t think it through and I should have done. In the light of day now, without the emotion attached at the time, I would not have done it.”
Border police with sniffer dogs stopped his vehicle as he approached the ferry terminal in Calais last October and found two Eritrean refugees stowed away in the back, unbeknown to Lawrie. He has not been charged with any offence relating to the pair, aged 22 and 26, who had been in the van for more than 10 hours as Lawrie worked at the Jungle setting up tents and building shelters for thousands of refugees.Border police with sniffer dogs stopped his vehicle as he approached the ferry terminal in Calais last October and found two Eritrean refugees stowed away in the back, unbeknown to Lawrie. He has not been charged with any offence relating to the pair, aged 22 and 26, who had been in the van for more than 10 hours as Lawrie worked at the Jungle setting up tents and building shelters for thousands of refugees.
“This was, first of all, out of character and second, very stupid. In all honesty, I didn’t think it through and I should have done. In the light of day now, without the emotion attached at the time, I would not have done it.”
Lawrie described how, as winter approached in the muddy shanty town camp, he designed shelters for families and enlisted Sudanese refugees to help him build them.Lawrie described how, as winter approached in the muddy shanty town camp, he designed shelters for families and enlisted Sudanese refugees to help him build them.
“Instead of me building one a day, with my Sudanese friends we could build three or four a day. I would go around the camp to see if there were parents of children living in tents and I would identify those most in need and offer them a shelter,” he said. “Eventually, I had a waiting list.”“Instead of me building one a day, with my Sudanese friends we could build three or four a day. I would go around the camp to see if there were parents of children living in tents and I would identify those most in need and offer them a shelter,” he said. “Eventually, I had a waiting list.”
He concluded: “These children are in so much trouble basically because they lost the birth lottery and although I did something wrong and I truly am sorry, I feel that these children need help.”He concluded: “These children are in so much trouble basically because they lost the birth lottery and although I did something wrong and I truly am sorry, I feel that these children need help.”
Lawrie, who has three natural children aged 14, 13 and seven, and one adopted 13-year-old, said his carpet cleaning business had failed because he had “thrown himself into helping these children”. Lawrie, who has children aged 14, 13 and seven and an adopted 13-year-old, said his carpet cleaning business had failed because he had “thrown himself into helping these children”.
He told the court he had been diagnosed as bipolar and had Tourette syndrome and had been in hospital four times in the last two years “because of my health”.He told the court he had been diagnosed as bipolar and had Tourette syndrome and had been in hospital four times in the last two years “because of my health”.
Lawrie said he had been taken into the temporary care of social services at the age of six and into full residential care around a year or 18 months later. He admitted he suffered from depression and said last November, after his arrest, he had taken a “massive dose” of diazepam and paracetamol in an attempt to end his life. Lawrie said he had been taken into the temporary care of social services at the age of six and into full residential care about a year or 18 months later. He said last November, after his arrest, he had taken a “massive dose” of diazepam and paracetamol in an attempt to end his life.
The public prosecutor, Jean-Louis Valensi, said nobody could remain indifferent to the suffering of those fleeing civil war. “We can understand their hopes for a better life elsewhere, and we are all aware of the difficult conditions in the camp at Calais,” he told the court.The public prosecutor, Jean-Louis Valensi, said nobody could remain indifferent to the suffering of those fleeing civil war. “We can understand their hopes for a better life elsewhere, and we are all aware of the difficult conditions in the camp at Calais,” he told the court.
Valensi added it was evident Lawrie was not a people smuggler, otherwise he would have been accused of “human trafficking”. “So, was this an humanitarian act, as Mr Lawrie has said?”Valensi added it was evident Lawrie was not a people smuggler, otherwise he would have been accused of “human trafficking”. “So, was this an humanitarian act, as Mr Lawrie has said?”
He said the French law obliging people to help someone whose life or physical wellbeing was in danger did not apply, in his view, because “there was a way to help without breaking the law”. He said the refugees’ presence in the Jungle was voluntary.He said the French law obliging people to help someone whose life or physical wellbeing was in danger did not apply, in his view, because “there was a way to help without breaking the law”. He said the refugees’ presence in the Jungle was voluntary.
“The migrants don’t have to cross the Channel, they have the possibility to stay in France ... the local authorities have suggested other solutions,” he told the court.“The migrants don’t have to cross the Channel, they have the possibility to stay in France ... the local authorities have suggested other solutions,” he told the court.
There were boos and jeers from around 100 people who had come to support Lawrie as the prosecutor criticised him for putting the girl in a small enclosure 1.3 metres wide, 50cm deep and 30cm high. There were boos and jeers from about 100 people who had come to support Lawrie as the prosecutor criticised him for putting the girl in a small enclosure 1.3 metres wide, 50cm deep and 30cm high.
“Mr Lawrie was himself worried about this after he was stopped at 23.35 exactly that night. He was taken into custody, as was normal, and at 1.50, he suddenly announced the child was hidden in the van. He told police ‘I don’t want something to happen to her’. “Mr Lawrie was himself worried about this after he was stopped at 23.35 exactly that night. He was taken into custody, as was normal, and at 01.50, he suddenly announced the child was hidden in the van. He told police: ‘I don’t want something to happen to her.’
“Imagine if this child had woken up and tried to get out all on her own. The panels of the compartment where she was hiding were screwed down.“Imagine if this child had woken up and tried to get out all on her own. The panels of the compartment where she was hiding were screwed down.
“What if there had been a head-on crash. He was putting her life in danger. And Mr Lawrie knew this because after an hour and a half he admitted the presence of the child, admitted he was worried about her, and said she should be taken out of the hiding place.“What if there had been a head-on crash. He was putting her life in danger. And Mr Lawrie knew this because after an hour and a half he admitted the presence of the child, admitted he was worried about her, and said she should be taken out of the hiding place.
“She was then taken to hospital and later returned to her family.” He said Lawrie should be accused of putting the child’s life in danger. “The ends did not justify the means,” Valensi said. “This is a serious offence”. “She was then taken to hospital and later returned to her family.” He said Lawrie should be accused of putting the child’s life in danger. “The ends did not justify the means,” Valensi said. “This is a serious offence.”