Colombian charged with murder after immunity lifted

A Colombian security officer whose diplomatic immunity was lifted by his government was charged yesterday with the murder of a man who was stabbed to death outside a supermarket in London.

Jairo Soto-Mendoza, 44, was charged with killing Damian Broom, 23, who died from a single stab wound outside a Tesco store in Greenford, west London, on 22 May. Mr Broom, a warehouseman, had one child.

Scotland Yard announced it wanted to question an official at the Colombian embassy and one of his relatives, believed to be his son, but was unable to detain them because they had diplomatic immunity.

But Mr Soto-Mendoza reported to a police station in central London yesterday after the Colombian government decided to waive the legal protection. Shortly after appearing at the police station, the suspect was charged with murder and held in custody.

Denis MacShane, a Foreign Office minister, said he had been told by the Colombian ambassador that his government had agreed to waive diplomatic immunity. He said: "I welcome the decision following representations made to the highest level of the Colombian government."

Tony Blair raised the issue with the Colombian president-elect Alvaro Uribe during his visit to Downing Street in July.

The scale of diplomatic immunity given to an individual depends on their status. A member of a foreign mission's diplomatic staff is entitled to complete criminal immunity and to civil immunity, except for actions relating to some private activities. Administrative or technical staff have full criminal immunity, but civil immunity relates only to their official duties.

Damian Broom's father, Ian Broom, 45, said yesterday: "My 10-year-old daughter Nicole wakes up in the middle of the night. She's obviously worried and misses her brother and finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that he's not around any more. Also Damian's wife, who is only 23, now has to cope without a husband and a father of her child. She doesn't say much, she has retreated inside herself. The stresses and strains have affected my family."

The ambassador, Victor Ricardo, said: "The Colombian government trusts the British authorities will ensure that the due process of law is carried out in order for the investigation to be conducted with full transparency and justice."