Serial Asylum Seeker Imprisoned for Armed Incident at Schools
A 21-year-old South Sudanese migrant, Duc Deng, has been sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to trespassing on school grounds with dangerous items, including petrol, a hatchet, and a seven-inch knife. This ruling came from Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, UK, where the judge cited Deng’s frustration over the UK government’s refusal to grant him asylum status.
Deng left his wife and child in South Sudan and had made three unsuccessful asylum applications in the UK. He was apprehended on August 6, 2025, near the Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood, Greater Manchester. Though the school was closed for summer break, staff members became alarmed by Deng’s actions and alerted the authorities.
Police body camera footage captured the moment an officer instructed Deng to the ground, subsequently subduing him. Upon searching, officers discovered a knife, a hammer, a hatchet, and a jerry can filled with petrol.
During the court proceedings, it was reported that Deng had exhibited erratic behavior before police intervention, spotted by passersby who also noted his unusual actions at another school the day prior, which resulted in damage to a door intercom.
Deng’s attorney argued in court that his client did not mean to cause harm; rather, he sought to draw attention to his plight regarding his asylum status. The lawyer emphasized that Deng intended to provoke a response from the British government, feeling that he had let them down by having his asylum request denied. The defense pointed out that Deng found himself isolated in a foreign environment, struggling with language barriers and a lack of job prospects due to his immigration status, leading to his desperate actions.
In sentencing, Justice Bernadette Baxter acknowledged that Deng had been denied refugee status and highlighted the need for action regarding his situation, stating, “The Home Office should do something about your status in this country, rather than doing nothing.”
Under ongoing government policies aimed at expelling foreign criminals sentenced to prison for 12 months or more, Deng’s sentence entails half the time served in custody. This means he could potentially be released soon, considering he has already spent nearly a year in jail since his arrest.
