‘Hard-working’ illegal immigrant used pal's passport to land job at Tattu restaurant in Leeds

Julio Anilson Soares Custodio, who is from Angola, was caught working on the bar at Tattu on East Parade when he should have been removed from the country, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The 33-year-old was jailed for 12 months this week after a judge told him he had “no right to be working in the UK”.

In a twist of fate, it was the man’s passport he used who also landed a job at the same Chinese restaurant before the scam was uncovered.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said Custodio entered the UK in March 2014 and claimed asylum, but his application was refused in September 2015 and he was earmarked for deportation.

While he waited, he was able to secure Portugese citizenship but because of his history, had to make a ESS claim application (European Settlement Status) in October 2020. However, he still did not have permanent status and the Home Office was “reviewing his position”.

He worked at Tattu from July 2019 to July 2020. But the real owner of the passport – whom Custodio said he knew – was sacked just two shifts into his job when they realised they were using the same ID.

Custodio was reported to the authorities and arrested in March last year, and gave no comments during his police interview. He later claimed he was the victim, but eventually admitted possessing an identity document with improper intent. However, he continued to deny that he did not knowingly use false ID.

He also denied a charge of fraud, which will lie on file. The court was told he was jailed in 2018 for six months for a similar offence of possessing a false passport with intent.

Mitigating, Jeremy Barton said Custodio knew he cold not work legally and had moved from London to Yorkshire.

He said: “He used documents that he had no entitlement to do, but rather than many who are lazy and don’t want to work and don’t want to take responsibility and live off others, the state or unlawful means, this defendant is not workshy.

"He is a decent, hard-working man, but realises has not gone about things in the right way. He wants to be a lawful citizen and not be looking over his shoulder.”

He said that Custdio, of East End Park, had since found out he had two children which he had no previous knowledge of, and wanted to help provide for them.

Judge Ray Singh said his claims he didn’t knowingly use the false ID was “utter rubbish”, and pointed to his previous conviction.

He said: "Prison had clearly not taught you the lesson it ought to. You had no right to work in the UK. You should have been deported, but as is all too often, the wheels of deportation move very slowly.

"You have not learned your lesson. I’m afraid it’s not a sentence I can suspend.”

Telling him he will be released at the half-way stage of his sentence, he added: “I will leave it to immigration authorities to deal with you on release.”