Ethnic minorities get a raw deal from the justice system in Northern Ireland, it was claimed today.
As the authorities faced pressure to increase a 17-month jail term for an alleged racist killing, campaigners said a tougher sentence would have been imposed had the victim been white.
British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith has been urged to review the case surrounding a fatal attack on Indian shopkeeper Brij Sharma (38) in Co Derry.
The father-of-two's family were appalled by the sentence handed down last month to the man convicted of his manslaughter. Their outrage was compounded by a refusal to treat the assault as racist during the trial.
They have been backed by the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, which claimed the sentence's leniency ignored new hate crime legislation.
Executive director Patrick Yu, who warned that he was prepared to lobby for a public inquiry if the prosecuting authorities do not act, said Mr Sharma's killing fitted a general trend.
"We have carried out research to compare sentencing where ethnic minorities have been either the victims or perpetrators of crime.
Perpetrators from an ethnic minority can have much higher sentencing than white counterparts, and vice-versa for victims."
Mr Sharma was attacked outside his girlfriend's home in Moneymore in April 2004. He fractured his skull and died days after being punched by Stephen McGlone (22) of Woodvale Crescent in the town.
McGlone's brother Mark (27) from Rockview Park, Moneymore, who admitted causing criminal damage to Mr Sharma's car and attempting to intimidate his girlfriend, was ordered to carry out community service.
The dead man's brother, Bharat, insisted the strike was fuelled by racism. Witnesses said McGlone had bragged about settling a score with a "Paki bastardd" in a pub hours earlier, Mr Sharma claimed.
PA