A GRIEVING dad was told his views 'would not count' over whether the asylum seeker who left his daughter dying in the road will be deported.

Paul Houston attended the immigration hearing today hoping to read a letter explaining the impact on his family since 12-year-old Amy's death in November 2003.

But he was left in tears after being denied the chance to express his views.

After seeing how upset Mr Houston, 41, was, senior immigration judge Deborah Taylor agreed to take the letter but told him it would not count in her judgment.

Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, an Iraqi, left Amy dying under the wheels of his Rover car in Blackburn after she ran into the road.

Ibrahim was disqualified from driving and had already exhausted all his appeals to stay in the country.

After the hearing, Mr Houston, an engineer from Darwen, said: "I hope the letter means something to them.

“Amy was my only child. She was my family.

“My life has been destroyed by what’s happened.

“But I still have to keep the faith that this appeal can be won.”

The hearing in Manchester was held after the Border Agency appealed the decision to allow Ibrahim to stay in this country on the basis he has two young children and a long-term partner in the UK.

Judge Taylor will give her decision in 'two to three weeks'.

Matthew Barnes, for the Border Agency, challenged the original judge's decision on grounds that there was insufficient evidence to say Ibrahim was a 'significant' part of his children’s lives.

Mr Barnes also said there had been insufficient weight put on Ibrahim's criminal history, and claimed the judge had mis-applied the law.

He gave the example that the judge said Ibrahim helped with his children's homework, but admitted he could not read English.

Mr Barnes also noted Ibrahim had, since arriving in the UK in 2001, been convicted for driving while twice disqualified and uninsured, possession of cannabis, burglary and theft, harassment, damage to property and harassment.

Mr Barnes said: “Mr Ibrahim has spent time repeatedly committing a variety of offences, the most recent of which could have given rise to jail sentences.

“By his conduct, he has put his family life at risk on several occasions."

Mr Ibrahim, his partner, their two children aged three and four years old, and his partner’s two older children from a previous relationship were in court, but did not speak.

Maverlyn Vidal, defending, said the judge was aware of the nature of the full details of the case in making the decision.