An immigrant carried out a knifepoint mugging in the hope he would be sent back to his war-torn African homeland because he hated life in Britain, a court has heard.
By Lucy Cockcroft
Published: 7:30AM GMT 08 Jan 2010
Kasiba Misigaro, 21, who was living off benefits, believed he would have a better life back in Burundi, one of the ten poorest countries in the world.
He asked the immigration services to send him home but they did nothing, so he pulled a knife on another African hoping to be deported.
Misigaro targeted Isce Akanbi, 40, on December 21 last year, near West Ham tube station in east London on his way to meet friends who were playing a game of football.
James Lofthouse, prosecuting, told Inner London Crown Court: "He grabbed his jacket and put something to his side, saying: 'Give me your wallet. The victim looked down and saw a silver knife.
"Scared of what he would do, he gave him two mobile phones and his wallet."
But when a friend of Mr Akanbi arrived at the scene he stood up for himself and demanded his possessions back.
At first Misigaro waved the knife from side-to-side, ordering them: '"move back, or you'll get it."
Mr Lofthouse added: "Mr Akanbi and his friend pursued him back to the park, joined by another friend who had been playing football with them.
"The three managed to corner the defendant a short distance away."
Eventually Misigaro dropped the stolen items, along with his weapon, and police arrested him at the scene.
He told officers: "I only did it because I wanted to go home. I don't want to be here."
Misigaro admitted robbery, but insisted he did not intend to stab the victim, only frighten him.
The prosecutor added: "He was on benefits, hates being in the UK, has no interest in working or integrating, has no money, and would commit further offences if he remained here.
"He said he had already approached the immigration services about going to Burundi but they didn't seem particularly interested in assisting."
Judge Simon Gerald smiled and observed: "If we put him on a plane I imagine he'd like that too."
The court heard he has amassed convictions for 21 offences in the last five years and was completing an unpaid work order for his last crime, an attempted robbery, when he committed this offence.
Charles Langley, defending, said: "This is a rather unusual case, where the defendant wants to be sent back home.
"I would seek that your honour makes a recommendation for deportation."
Jailing Misigaro for three years, Judge Gerald said it was a "very serious offence", aggravated by the fact he was on a community order at the time.
Misigaro, from Plaistow, east London, will be automatically deported at the end of his three year sentence.