At Last, Some Proper Journalism

The case left a number of puzzling and troubling questions. How did he get here? Who paid for his treatment and the trip? Where did he stay when he came to London? The last of these is perhaps the key to unlocking this quite extraordinary saga.

'The Case' being this one, and those questions being the very ones on everyone's lips when we first read about it. And of all newpapers, only the 'Daily Mail' saw fit to answer them.

The connection, however, is revealed at the Land Registry where the current owners who purchased the property from the Mellers (for precisely £44.25million) are listed as the 'State of Qatar', effectively the Thani dynasty, the ruling family of the oil and gas rich Gulf state. Qatar is one of the few countries in the world that offers near free universal healthcare to all its citizens which includes sending them overseas if certain specialised services are unavailable at home.In 2023, 53,000 Qataris applied to receive treatment abroad. Al-Gherainiq was one of them. After a series of medical checks in his homeland, he was flown to London, a Qatari official with knowledge of the case revealed, and was initially given a daily allowance to cover his accommodation costs.

And as soon as he was arrested, it was all 'nuffin' to do wiv us, guv' from this parasite nestled into one of the most pretigious streets in London, providing a tidy living for Harley Street... 

'The Embassy of the State of Qatar in London is aware of a criminal case involving one of its citizens and his subsequent conviction,' the official said. 'The Embassy has had no contact with the individual since the time of his arrest and has not provided legal representation or support beyond standard consular assistance, in accordance with international consular norms.'

No, the taxpayer shouldered that burden, didn't it? 

The Qatari Embassy, which housed Al-Gherainiq after he first arrived in London, has been at the centre of controversy itself in the past and has a history of claiming diplomatic immunity when staff bring legal actions.

Perhaps it's past time dimplomatic relations with them were severed - unless of course the rape of a British woman isn't considered reason enough to turn off the tap of Quatari blood money? Or are our citizens not worth the protection the US gives it's working animals?