Zimbabwean criminal who burned woman's face with melted plastic cannot be deported because it would breach his human rights

A judge has ruled a Zimbabwean national who was jailed for five and a half years after he scarred a woman for life cannot be deported because it would breach his human rights.

Drug dealer Valentine Harverye burned his 34-year-old victim with a melted cider bottle and scalded her with boiling water. He was said to have assaulted her in front of five or six people at her home in 2009.

An attempt to deport Harverye, made by the Home Office, has now been defeated after he appealed against the move.

Upper Tribunal Judge Christopher Hanson said deporting the 22-year-old could breach his human rights as he would not be able to demonstrate loyalty to Robert Mugabe's party and so may face 'ill-treatment', The Telegraph has reported.

The paper reported the move would have breached Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are disappointed by the Tribunal's decision as we firmly believe that foreign nationals who break the law should be deported.

'We are examining the detail of this ruling before we decide whether to appeal.'

Harverye was first convicted for common assault in 2004. He went on to commit a further 12 offences, including the assault which left a woman scarred in 2009.

He was jailed for the offence at Nottingham Crown Court.

Conservative MP Priti Patel told the paper: 'This is a shocking case and a dreadful example of how the courts have once again disregarded the rights of the victim over the rights of an appalling criminal.'

Earlier this week it was revealed the number of foreign criminals who had avoided deportation because it would 'breach their human rights' had almost doubled in a year.

Almost 300 offenders used Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to argue their right to stay in the country last year.

Statistics from the Home Office showed that 299 'foreign national offenders won appeals' last year - up from 177 the year before, the Sun reported.

Article 8 protects the right to private and family life.