London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Apr 03, 2026

Asylum seeker inquest: Immigration officers may have had role in death

Asylum seeker inquest: Immigration officers may have had role in death

Immigration officers' actions could have contributed to the death of an asylum seeker in Newport, an inquest jury has concluded.

Mustafa Dawood, 23, suffered head injuries when he fell from the roof of a car wash while being chased by officers.

He had been working illegally at the Shaftesbury hand car wash in Newport when it was raided in June 2018.

Mr Dawood had fled persecution in his home country of Sudan.

However, his claim for asylum in the UK had been refused by the Home Office.

At an inquest in Newport, jurors concluded that a decision to abandon pursuing Mr Dawood was not "effectively communicated" to all officers.

The jury also found that officers did not move far enough away from him, and that one officer should not have held his baton in a "racked position" over his shoulder while Mr Dawood climbed up the warehouse doors.

Jurors also concluded that officers were not "appropriately trained in pursuit procedures".

The jury decided all of these matters had possibly contributed to Mr Dawood's death.

Coroner Caroline Saunders said she would be writing to the appropriate head of service because she had not heard that changes had been made to the pursuit policy.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) made a series of recommendations following the death to the Home Office in 2019, all of which were accepted.

These included the need for tailored risk assessments, better contingency planning and improved command officer support for operational staff when carrying out enforcement visits.

Mustafa Dawood had been working at Shaftesbury car wash in Albany Street, Newport


The inquest at Gwent Coroner's Court heard immigration officers had arrived at Albany Trading Estate just after 10:00 GMT on 30 June 2018 following intelligence that foreign nationals were working there illegally.

They chased Mr Dawood, who ran onto the roof of a warehouse, believing he would be arrested.

The officer in charge, Matthew Day, said he called off the pursuit due to concern about Mr Dawood's safety.

However other officers present that day said they did not remember receiving an order to stop.

While running away, Mr Dawood fell through plastic roofing into a locked room below, where he was eventually found with "severe and fatal" head wounds.

'My son was not a thief or a murderer'


Officer Gregory Williams told the court Mr Dawood would not have been arrested and instead would have been told to go home, while the car wash would have been fined.

Mr Williams claimed he would not have been deported, given the current situation in Sudan.

During the week-long inquest, the jury heard Mr Dawood was from the Zaghawa tribe in the Darfur region of western Sudan, a non-Arabic group who face ethnic cleansing by local Arab militia groups.

Mr Dawood's mother, Hameda Hamed Shogar Ahmed, who was present in court throughout the inquest, described how her son found himself in increasing danger in Sudan and fled to the UK in 2015.

She said: "(In Sudan) there is so much killing every day, so many young people are killed or disappeared - that's why our young men have to flee to avoid the same destiny.

"My son was not a thief or a murderer, he was just a young person asking for safety."

'I hope lessons will be learned'
Hameda Hamed Shogar Ahmed says Mustafa would not have died if officers were well-trained


Speaking through an interpreter after the inquest, she said the family was pleased with the jury's findings.

"By listening to the testimony of the witnesses, several facts became apparent to us. The immigration officers were not well trained, and if they had been, this disaster would not have not happened," she said.

She also said the officers made "serious mistakes when pursuing Mustafa".

She added that his asylum support money had been stopped temporarily shortly before his fatal fall and the family "believe it was why he was working at the car wash".

"I hope lessons will be learned from Mustafa's death," she said.

'Desperately sad'


IOPC director Catrin Evans said it was "desperately sad" that Mr Dawood died in "such awful circumstances" after fleeing his own country to seek safety in the UK.

She said the IOPC found there was "no evidence" that Mr Dawood's death could have been "reasonably foreseen by those present", as he had ran off almost immediately after officers arrived.

"Our investigation concluded that the officers' actions were broadly in line with policies and procedures and no individual immigration enforcement officer behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings," she said.

"However, we identified significant organisational learning to try to help better safeguard individuals when suddenly encountering immigration officials in such circumstances."

Ms Evans said the recommendations would help to "reduce the risk of others being injured in the future and should serve to develop practice and procedures within immigration enforcement to improve public confidence".


After fleeing war in Sudan, Mustafa Dawood died in Newport

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump’s Strategic Pressure on UK Seen as Push for Stronger Alignment and Fairer Terms
UK Focuses on Trade Finance to Secure Critical Materials for Defence and Energy Sectors
Majority of UK Businesses Hit by Middle East Conflict While Confidence Holds Firm
UK Royal Navy Faces Renewed Scrutiny as Debate Intensifies Over Capability and Readiness
Reform UK Faces Mounting Distractions as Policy Agenda Struggles to Gain Traction
Investigation Launched Into Northern Cyprus IVF Clinics After UK Families Receive Incorrect Sperm
International Meeting Issues Unified Call to Safeguard Navigation Through Strait of Hormuz
Potential Strait of Hormuz Closure Raises Concerns Over UK Food and Medicine Supply Chains
UK Leads Coalition of Over Forty Nations Urging Iran to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
UK Secures Tariff-Free Access for Medicines in Landmark US Pharma Trade Agreement
King Charles III Invited to Address Joint Session of U.S. Congress in Rare Diplomatic Honor
Debate Grows Over Whether Expanded North Sea Drilling Can Reduce UK Energy Bills
UK Faces Heightened Risk of Jet Fuel Shortages, Airline Chief Warns
UK Ends Police Investigations into Lawful Social Media Posts After Review Finds Overreach
Abramovich Moves to Establish Charity for Frozen Chelsea Sale Proceeds Amid UK Dispute
Starmer Reaffirms NATO Commitment While Responding to Trump’s Strategic Critique
UK Aid Reductions Raise Fears of Severe Human Impact Across Parts of Africa
UK Signals Renewed Push for EU Cooperation as Iran Conflict Reshapes Security Landscape
Bank of England Signals Caution as Bailey Advises Markets Against Expecting Rate Hikes
UK to Convene Global Coalition to Restore Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
Trump Signals Possible NATO Reassessment, Emphasizes Stronger U.S. Strategic Autonomy
Australia Joins British-Led Efforts to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Tensions
King Charles Plans US State Visit as UK Strengthens Ties with Trump Leadership
UK Regulator Launches Investigation Into Microsoft’s Business Software Practices
Kanye West Set for High-Profile Return to UK Stage at Wireless Festival
Trump Presses Europe to Strengthen Commitment as Iran Conflict Escalates
UK to Deploy Additional Troops to Middle East Amid Rising Regional Tensions
UK Authorities Face Claims of Heavy-Handed Measures in Monitoring Released Pro-Palestine Activists
Trump Calls on UK to Secure Its Own Energy as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Nigel Farage Declines Invitation to UK Conservative Conference Led by Liz Truss
Trump Warns Allies to Take Responsibility as Rift Deepens with UK and France Over Iran Conflict
How Britain’s Prime Minister Controls U.S. Bomber Access in Escalating Iran Conflict
Trump Urges Allies to Secure Their Own Oil Supplies as Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Energy
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
×