This is going to be one of those columns which begins: Is it me? A judge has ruled that an American drugs dealer can’t be deported from Britain because he has a ‘human right’ to free medical treatment on the NHS.

Vietnam war veteran Johnny Callie was jailed for seven years in 2007 for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin to addicts in Ipswich.

We are also told, without any evidence whatsoever, that the gang of which he was the kingpin would ‘almost certainly have supplied drugs to the five prostitutes (sorry, “sex workers”) murdered in Ipswich by Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright’.

As if that’s got anything to do with the price of crack. Regular readers may remember that when these desperate women were killed, the BBC declared an official month of mourning. We were all to blame.

Naturally, having been given seven years, Callie was released after three. Of course he was. Don’t want him becoming ‘institutionalised’, mixing with evil phone-hackers and bent MPs, perish the thought.

Callie suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and ‘degenerative changes to his right knee’. He has now argued successfully that he would not be able to afford medical care in the U.S.

And, apparently, his girlfriend is depressed. Did I mention that?

According to Judge Bernard Dawson (I’ll get on to him in a minute): ‘Due to her depression and anxiety, she is usually dependent upon the claimant and cannot easily leave her home on her own or travel outside Ipswich unless he is with her.

‘She would experience high levels of anxiety were she to leave her home and travel to America with the claimant. She has a history of attempted suicide.’

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

Sounds like a case for the Punk Samaritans. Ring them up claiming you’re feeling suicidal and they’ll tell you how to do it.

But this cynical, pathetic sob-story touched the heart of Judge Bernie the Bolthole, who halted the deportation order on the grounds it breached Callie’s right to ‘family life’ under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. What family?

And as for not being able to afford health insurance in the U.S., hasn’t Bernie heard of Obamacare?

Callie’s case was bolstered by a supportive letter from the Norfolk and Suffolk Probation Trust.

There’s a surprise. The Guardianistas who run the probation service would consider Callie a valued ‘client’. The interests of the wider public are never taken into consideration.

Don’t expect the judiciary to stick up for common decency, either. Judges regularly take decisions that spit in the face of those of us with ‘conventional’ values.

In the interests of justice, I checked out Bernie the Bolthole — so that you don’t have to. He’s a dead-ringer for John Major, grey-haired, bespectacled, boring. Looks like a middle-ranking proctologist. Oh, yes.

On closer examination, though, there’s something not quite right about him. He’s pictured on Mail Online wearing a pinstriped suit, with a check shirt and a patterned tie. Not a way for a gentleman to dress, I’m afraid.

Turns out he’s got previous when it comes to yuman rites.

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A Kenyan fraudster living in Birmingham stole more than £26,000 in benefits – after being denied permission to stay in the UK.

Lucy Mbugua had already been ordered to leave the country when she launched the four-year scam.

Then – after being charged over her crimes – she was allowed to stay in the UK.

The 40-year-old mother was convicted of three offences of dishonestly claiming taxpayers’ cash while having no right to remain in the UK.

She was found guilty in her absence and also failed to turn up to be sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

A warrant was issued for Mbugua’s arrest – but the Mail tracked her down to her home in Westminster Road, Selly Oak, before police caught up with her.

She told our reporter that she failed to attend court because of childcare issues, but would not comment further on the case.

Her convictions were welcomed by Birmingham City Council.

But the Home Office refused to explain how Mbugua was allowed to remain in the UK to commit the crimes despite having exhausted all her legal appeal options.

Magistrates heard she fraudulently claimed £24,479,09 in housing benefit and £1,829.48 in council tax benefit between September 17, 2009 and August 13, 2013.

But the court was told she was not granted permission to stay in the country until last December.

She secured the three-year visa on the grounds of having a right to a family life.

Joe Millington, prosecuting, said Mbugua ticked a box on a claim form to make it appear she had the right to live in the UK.

The Mail understood that she lawfully entered the country on a visa but exhausted all appeals to stay in 2009, after claiming to be a victim of domestic abuse.

Her crimes were detected through the use of data matching methods, which see council fraud investigators trawl through information shared by other government departments.

Magistrates found Mbugua guilty in her absence on April 11. The court received a letter during that hearing to say she had childcare problems.

The case was adjourned for sentencing but Mbugua failed to attend for the second time last Friday and the arrest warrant was issued.

The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.

Council deputy leader Coun Ian Ward said: “Given the pressures we face as a result of central government funding cuts, it is essential we ensure every penny goes to those with a rightful claim.

“I hope this conviction sends out a clear message that we will pursue those who set out to defraud the system.”

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