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11:50am Monday 8th March 2010
A MOTHER whose son was beaten to death by a failed asylum seeker says the government should track immigrants when they come into the country.
Margaret Cooper was speaking for the first time since her son David was killed in November 2008.
The mother-of-three has attempted suicide twice since the death of her only son.
Mossab Belhocine was given a life sentence for murdering 28-year-old David.
Belhocine, aged 19, was told he must serve 24 years in jail for murder and 10 years for robbery, to run concurrently.
Ms Cooper said: “Life should mean life. He will come out when he is 40 years old and he can carry on.”
The 51-year-old said: “It has broken my heart and shattered it into pieces. David was my soul mate. We saw each other every day.”
She added: “If someone comes to this country they should be logged and followed really closely. The government should know exactly where they are.
“If they are illegal they should be sent back to their country.”
Belhocine met Mr Cooper in Soho before the pair travelled to his victim's flat in Calderwood Street, Woolwich.
During a trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard how the Algerian national kicked and beat his victim so hard an imprint of his trainer was left on Mr Cooper’s face.
The 19-year-old from Walthamstow said he had punched and kicked Mr Cooper to stop the sales assistant from raping him, but the court was told Belhocine had been planning a robbery.
He took a silver bracelet, a DVD player, a computer console, a television, a laptop and an Oyster card.
Ms Cooper, of Gilbourne Road, Plumstead, said: “I hate him for what he has done. I would like to go and visit him in prison and ask why he did this. He could have just robbed David and left.”
Mr Cooper would have been 30 last month. The family decorated his grave with banners and balloons to mark the occasion.
Tracy Cooper 19, plumstead says...
10:01pm Mon 8 Mar 10
apak24, Woolwich London says...
12:31am Tue 9 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
9:55am Tue 9 Mar 10
Tracy Cooper 19 wrote:I will give you an example: There are 300,000 to 400,000 Iraqis in this country since 2003. So you want that amount of people employed to follow them about. That's crazy and unworkable. Also only one group of people. What about the Polish, Africans, Asian, etc etc. You would have to employ over a million people. Get real. What your really saying is, if your not from this country your a criminal and to be feared .......... Me and my shadow.
Mr porkpie, you obviously haven't had your son/brother murdered. You say " who's paying for all this?" well I/YOU and everyone who works and pays taxes pay for him to eat, learn and keep fit in prison. So what a silly comment because i would rather pay taxes to prevent this from happening again and lets hope that you don't have to ever experience what we have gone through most my dead brother.
mdf, erith says...
6:36pm Tue 9 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
10:27am Wed 10 Mar 10
mdf wrote:If your visa runs out it's up to you to return yourself. There's no leaving party no limo to pick you up. No government officer waiting at your front door. I'm fully aware he was an illegal immigrant. My OP was about this statement "logged and followed really closely" They are logged if they come through the ports but if not how are you going to log and follow them. So the one 's that are logged are now followed closely would cost the tax pay billions. What they are asking for is not workable. So should we have check points on every street corner. My make immigrant wear something on their clothes like say………. A yellow star.
porkpie, I think what Ms Cooper is trying to say is that he was an illegal immigrant, therefore he should not of been in this country in the first place. So if the govenment (or who evers job it is), did what they should and removed him from this country when his visa expired, then the unforgivable act he did may have been prevented. The people who have the power should crack down on immigration. As we who are british citizens are feeling the affect of immigration.
Mandy m, london says...
3:41pm Wed 10 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
4:22pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Mandy m wrote:Wind your neck in !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not about taxes this is about that fact that once again this country has let someone down, if this country was run how it should be run then this evil scum would not have been here to take an innocent life, and destroy so many other lives with his disgusting actions, the imigration system in this country is the worst in the world and something needs to be done about it and now!!! and i think you will find that what miss cooper is saying that if this country and its imigration system was run properly then the death of her beloved son could have been prevented and in my eyes and the eyes of many others mr porkie untill you have been through what this poor family have been through you have no rights to comment as im sure if it was your son or brother or relative you would feel exactly the same!!!
julie cooper1, eltham says...
5:47pm Wed 10 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
9:04pm Wed 10 Mar 10
julie cooper1 wrote:First off I'm not for illegal anything.
Well Mr porkie your clearly for the illegal immigrants sucking the system dry!!, heres an idea did you stop to think about the millions the illegals are costing the country by just been here?? Erm......NO.
We are a small island surrounded by water yet we're unable to stop people smuggling themselves or disappearing in the country.
Ms Cooper is a devastated women who probabley isnt thinking about cost and taxes just about away to stop this from happening to another family.
Im fed up with all national's bleeding this country dry so if it means tar and feather's so be it, if your illegal and caught here then you should be shipped back regardless.
My greatgranparents didnt work hard for this country to go pot
Mandy m, london says...
9:50pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Tracy Cooper 19, plumstead says...
10:07pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Mandy m, london says...
10:42pm Wed 10 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
10:19am Thu 11 Mar 10
Orp Boy, Orpington says...
11:26am Thu 11 Mar 10
emma. b X, SE london says...
11:44am Thu 11 Mar 10
emma. b X, SE london says...
11:55am Thu 11 Mar 10
porkpie, SE London says...
2:01pm Thu 11 Mar 10
emma. b X wrote:Please point out the rude comments I have wriiten. You say - "things that have nothing to do with you!" This is a public website. You can have your say and I can have mine. As this has happened in the country I live and work in then I do have a say. Like everyone else. You say - "nice and appropriate comments you get off the pc and find yourself a life ". Pot - kettle don't you think. So because my opinions don't agree with yours they are not appropriate. Telling people to get a life, shows your mentality and intellectual skill..........
and as for you mr PORKPIE why dont you show some respect..... how about your UNWORKABLE,bitter and your a nasty peice of work.your ovisly not loved by anybody thats why you feel to sit there and make rude comments on things that have nothing to do with you! so my i suggest that if you cant make nice and appropriate comments you get off the pc and find yourself a life................ ...
porkpie, SE London says...
2:31pm Thu 11 Mar 10
GODUPERE2, SIDCUP says...
10:23pm Thu 11 Mar 10
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porkpie, SE London says...
1:27pm Mon 8 Mar 10