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Man jailed over plot to smuggle sibling from Calais Jungle has sentence cut

An Iraqi man who was jailed for a plot to smuggle his brother into the UK from the Calais Jungle has had his sentence slashed by appeal judges.

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Dana Mohammed, 30, of West Bromwich, concocted his plan after becoming worried about his brother's safety at the notorious migrant camp.

After driving to France with a female friend, he gave his passport to his sibling and told him to try to enter on a Eurostar train.

But border officials became suspicious when the brother, Rasul, 20, was unable to understand simple questions in English.

The brother was arrested in January along with a female friend of Mohammed's and detained.

Mohammed himself was arrested the next day when he tried to sneak back into the UK, claiming to have lost his passport.

He admitted conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and was jailed for 30 months at Blackfriars Crown Court in June.

But, after a plea by his lawyers, three senior judges in London slashed Mohammed's sentence to 20 months.

Lord Justice Simon said Mohammed had been motivated by 'human sympathy', rather than greed like a people smuggler.

The Court of Appeal heard Mohammed, of Milton Street, had been in the UK since 2003 and had been granted indefinite leave to remain.

However, he had become greatly concerned about his younger brother's predicament in the Calais camp.

In telephone calls, Rasul had cried about the danger he was in, barrister Edward Duncan Smith said.

"It is not just a case of his brother being stuck in Calais, but that, as Mr Mohammed understood, he was in some danger there.

"This was not a case of trafficking, it was motivated by a desire to protect a brother."

Lord Justice Simon said Mohammed's case was aggravated by the fact he had put pressure on his female friend to help Rasul over the border.

She initially had no idea of the plan, but had been convinced to travel on the Eurostar with Rasul and tried to talk their way past border guards, the court heard.

But when he was quizzed himself, Mohammed had immediately admitted the plan was his and that he had pressurised her into helping.

"This was a one-off case, motivated by human sympathy for a family member, rather than for greed," said the judge, sitting with Mr Justice Green and Judge David Aubrey QC.

"We quash the sentence of 30 months and substitute a sentence of 20 months."

Mr Duncan Smith said Rasul has since applied for permission to stay in the UK, but his case is still under consideration.

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