Ex UK/Fijian soldier being treated as if he was an illegal immigrant

[muhandis89]

Will the Government come to the defence of an Iraq war hero? - Telegraph

I served with the previous wave of Fijians,who served in The Army.The case mentioned above is shamefull.Get a grip-Defence Ministry

 

[stacker1]

Why? Don't we have enough of our own knife wielding maniacs?

 

[thegimp]

Doesn't seem very fair and its not in the Daily wail which is a start

How the **** is he gonna fit his head under kitchen sinks as a plumber though

 

[Command_doh]

Joanna L should get on the case and get it sorted. When you juxtapose the case against the Pakistani road racer, it looks terrible, but these cases are decided individually. That said, and given his service, it seems disproportionate. Why he hasn't got the nouse or savvy to do what the tens of thousands of other illegals do when they find a way to go home and come back with a new visa is beyond me though.

 

[mnairb]

This isn't new, a Staff Sergeant friend of mine in the '70s was Seychellois - married an English girl, family and house in UK, coming to the end of his 22 (having done many NI tours), received notification from the Immigration Service that he had 6 months to leave the country or he would be deported.

I met many Fijians in my time in the Army, I can safely say that I never met one that I did not like.

 

[Markintime]

The miscarriage of justice seems to lay partially at the feet of the Army. If he was suffering from PTSD then this should have been taken into account at his Court Martial and treatment should have been initiated. Kicking someone out of the Army merely passes the problem along to the civilian authorities and leaves him in this plight. It seems that PTSD is still looked on as somehow showing LMF, which it most certainly isn't. I believe that the UK has a moral duty to fix this broken soldier and that he should be allowed to remain here until he is mended.

 

[chocolate_frog]

If I was PM, I'd have the various ministry and department heads involved bent over my desk, while I delivered some arrse kickings in my highly bulled ammo boots.

They'd then be told to get the fcuk out of my airspace, and not to cross my radar again until this guy was sorted out with some medical, pension and citizenship. Unless they wanted more bull on their arrse.

We keep rapists, murderers and other toerags who commit much harsher crimes, are likely to continue with their life of crime AND contribute fcuk all to the coutnry (and are never likely to bar higher crime stats).

Yet a bloke who can get smashed up several times gets fcuked off? The knife thing seems pretty one off.

 

[stacker1]

The miscarriage of justice seems to lay partially at the feet of the Army. If he was suffering from PTSD then this should have been taken into account at his Court Martial and treatment should have been initiated. Kicking someone out of the Army merely passes the problem along to the civilian authorities and leaves him in this plight. It seems that PTSD is still looked on as somehow showing LMF, which it most certainly isn't. I believe that the UK has a moral duty to fix this broken soldier and that he should be allowed to remain here until he is mended.

Do you not think that the PTSD might be just be an excuse? Does PTSD make you carry a knife? Plenty of soldiers go to Colly for similar every year, if they have done a tour should they be let off because they can claim PTSD?

 

[Biscuits_AB]

Do you not think that the PTSD might be just be an excuse? Does PTSD make you carry a knife? Plenty of soldiers go to Colly for similar every year, if they have done a tour should they be let off because they can claim PTSD?

Psychological illness is capable of making once ordinary people do extraordinary things, and not in a good sense. This lad is in obvious need of help, or examination at least. Off loading him onto somebody else is wrong, and that's without getting all over emotional/over reactionary about his previous service.

 

[chocolate_frog]

Do you not think that the PTSD might be just be an excuse? Does PTSD make you carry a knife? Plenty of soldiers go to Colly for similar every year, if they have done a tour should they be let off because they can claim PTSD?

I'd imagine in this case (read the incidents involved) that PTSD could well be a factor. Inc the turn to drink, and brandishing a knife... which could have been a butter knife for all we know.

Either way, the guy has been short changed, and requires some support. He has at least learned a trade and given up the demon drink. Which is more of a step towards amends than many of our MPs have completed re their expenses.

 

[stacker1]

Psychological illness is capable of making once ordinary people do extraordinary things, and not in a good sense. This lad is in obvious need of help, or examination at least. Off loading him onto somebody else is wrong, and that's without getting all over emotional/over reactionary about his previous service.

Reading the badly researched article (When did MCTC become a prison), it doesnt seem to say he has any problems other than he is going to have to leave the country.

A devout Christian, Pex pulled himself together, became a teetotaller, and set about training to qualify as a plumber

 

[soldiersmum]

I know quite a bit about this story and chocolate frog you are not far off the mark with the comment about the butter knife, he was not out and about brandishing a knife. As an extra bit of news on this story when he left Colchester he never received his MFO box and last week after contacting his old regiment it was finally located in Germany where the regiment have moved to, hopefully he will eventually get his possessions back, better late than never.

Of course he has/had problems, no home, no right to work, no benefits, no Doctor, no bank account, just discarded without even his own possessions.

 

[stacker1]

I know quite a bit about this story and chocolate frog you are not far off the mark with the comment about the butter knife, he was not out and about brandishing a knife.

So whats the real story then? You don't go to MCTC and get SNLR because you told the Corporal (who was apparently over zealous) to jog on.

 

[Volunteer]

I hope Pex is treated fairly in the Home Office review.

 

[blonde_guy]

Is it not time for some sort of system of citizenship through service? The Yanks do it I believe.

 

[exile1]

This problem would never happen if we adopted the convention of France, Australia and the US to name a few countries that if you serve in their armed forces you either have to or can become a citizen of that country. This in my opinion is the correct and honourable thing to do. A great bunch of blokes [from my experience of them when they came over in the early '60's] from whom the Army profited in all ways from sport to active and loyal service] and I for one am ashamed of my country of birth for this mean spirited action.

 

[stacker1]

Of course he has/had problems, no home, no right to work, no benefits, no Doctor, no bank account, just discarded without even his own possessions.

Are you now being a bit melodramatic? Why hasnt he got a bank account? Commonwealth soldiers don't just lose it because they leave the army.

 

[Markintime]

Do you not think that the PTSD might be just be an excuse? Does PTSD make you carry a knife? Plenty of soldiers go to Colly for similar every year, if they have done a tour should they be let off because they can claim PTSD?

It is, of course, possible that he claimed PTSD as an excuse but, reading from the article there is also a strong possibility that he is suffering. I didn't say that he should have been let off, what I said was that it should have been taken into account and proper psychiatric reports and evaluations made and that he should have access to any treatment necessary. If he was of diminished responsibility because of his mental state then that should be taken into account no matter who the soldier is or where they are from.

 

[Markintime]

Are you now being a bit melodramatic? Why hasnt he got a bank account? Commonwealth soldiers don't just lose it because they leave the army.

Take a moment and think about it.

 

[stacker1]

Take a moment and think about it.

Think about what? You generally keep your bank account unless you get into debt. And dont come out with any Sven like excuses about not having an address, because he is obviously staying somewhere.