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Racism & fascism - in brief UK: Life sentence for racist murderer.

01 March 2003

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Steven Roberts, a member of the "Edinburgh Young Westburn Team" gang, was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court in March of stabbing to death 28-year old Iranian asylum-seeker Peiman Bahmani as he defended the home (where he had been sent to under the Home Office's dispersal scheme), (see Statewatch vol 12 no 5). The killing came after warnings to the police about an escalation of racist attacks on Iranian asylum-seekers and refugees had been ignored, leading to allegations of police "indifference". Roberts had been involved in a number of earlier attacks, involving death threats and racist abuse, on Peiman and his friends before stabbing him to death at the end of August 2002. During the trial Roberts had said that he was acting in self-defence, but his claim was "completely rejected" by Mr Justice Henriques who told him: "This was a wicked and shocking killing." At the time of the stabbing Roberts was on bail for attempted murder after fracturing a man's skull during a machete attack. Roberts' friend, Joseph Rutherford, was found guilty of affray; Gavin Gash was cleared on all charges. International Federation of Iranian Refugees, BM Box 1919, London WC1N 3XX. Tel. 07931 866 985, www.hambestegi.org; North East Campaign for Asylum Rights, PO Box 787, Newcastle NE99 1DJ

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