High court blocks Amber Rudd attempt to deport witness (Observer) (8 May 2018)

A High Court judge has prevented the removal of a Jamaican national and detainee at Brook House immigration removal centre, after former Home Secretary, Amber Rudd pursued his deportation. Mr Van Horn came to the UK when he was 14 in 1984 and was placed in immigration detention after was charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in 2012. He believes he has been “persecuted more than normal” because he is a key witness to a recent death and suicide from his previous residence at Morton Hall immigration removal centre in Lincolnshire. In October last year another detainee, Mr Spencer, suffered a stroke and died. Mr Van Horn insists that Mr Spencer complained of feeling unwell before the stroke but was not given medical attention. As a witness to this, Mr Van Horn is considered to be an interested party in the on-going investigation, which is why the High Court judge rejected Mrs Rudd’s attempt to remove him. Mr Van Horn also wrote to the manager at Morton Hall when he believed an Iraqi detainee should be on suicide watch. The man is believed to have killed himself last November. If Mr Van Horn was removed from UK jurisdiction, there is no guarantee that he would be able to return to give evidence at the inquest. His solicitor, Toufique Hossain, a partner level Director at Duncan Lewis, warns that Amber Rudd’s actions in this case have been “dangerous”. He states: “There is to be an inquest to determine whether the Home Office caused or contributed to the death of a person in her custody. Our client is a potential key witness to that inquest, whom [Mrs Rudd] has sought to remove from the territory. Such action by the [former] secretary of state offends fundamental principles concerning the rule of law…”