Temperatures in the unit had reached an "unbearable" 38.5C (101F) as the migrants were sealed inside for at least 12 hours, the court heard. Police ensured they were taken to the mortuary, and then had their post-mortem examinations carried out, together. Lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, also from Northern Ireland, who collected the migrants in northern France and drove the container to Zeebrugge, was found guilty of people-smuggling and 39 counts of manslaughter in December. Emailwebnews@trinitymirror.com. Essex lorry deaths: Trafficking ringleader jailed for 15 years after 39 died from suffocation and hyperthermia, The 39 people whose bodies were discovered in a lorry in Grays, Essex, in October 2019. His loss is so sudden for us. "And finding out at the very last minute, and realising as you die, that the VIP service was a terrible lie, is exactly what you see from these organised crime groups. "There is no VIP service - these are the lies people are told to be exploited," he said. On 23 October 2019 we were called to a scene that no officer could ever have prepared for. "The day he left it was 6th September. They had all paid huge sums of money to reach Britain in search of a better life - paying up to 13,000 each. [56] Bail was refused on 30 April. He slowly brought the lorry to a stop at the industrial estate, got out of the cab and opened the trailer door. Helicopter video shows the Lorry in Essex where 39 bodies were found, Thirty-nine people, including a teenager, have been found dead inside a lorry container, Witnesses near the industrial estate described the 'awful' scene, Police are seen at the industrial estate today. His father, Hoang Van Lanh, believed his son was tricked, possibly at the last moment. "I can't breathe," he said. [60] In March 2021, the man appeared in court again accused by Belgian authorities of being a member of a criminal organisation, being involved in human trafficking and using forged documents. From the French capital, they had made their way to a town called Bierne, in northern France. These are the first photographs of the lorry where 39 bodies were discovered today. I want to come back to my family. [45], On 1 November, a man from Northern Ireland was re-arrested in the holding cells of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin following the execution of a European Arrest Warrant issued in the UK. Mr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half. His barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was "horrified by what he saw". The lorry cab, a Scania R-series, was registered in Bulgaria in 2017 in the name of a company owned by an Irish citizen, but had not returned there since, according to the Bulgarian foreign ministry. The families of the victims who lost their lives continue to mourn their losses, with many still struggling with the debts of the money they spent in search of a better life. During the lengthy court cases at the Old Bailey in London, shocking details from the tragedy were uncovered. [79], On 22 January 2021 the culprits were jailed for the incident. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk, Lorry container 'became a tomb' for 39 victims, Essex lorry deaths driver admits manslaughter. [14] The investigation was the "largest mass fatality victim identification" investigation in the history of Essex Police. They had been working legally as fruit pickers in Hungary when they phoned their families in Vietnam to tell them there had been a change in plan and they would soon be travelling to the UK. The deaths have been a wake-up call for police. Update: Essex police have confirmed that no further action will be taken against Christopher Hughes. "We are working with Thurrock Council to mitigate against any impact our investigation scene will have locally.". In the weeks before the tragic journey, the gang, led by Hughes and Nica, organised at least two other journeys smuggling Vietnamese migrants packed into the back of lorries into the UK. Some of the victims reassured their anxious families that they had paid extra for a so-called VIP journey to the UK which meant the lorry driver was helping them to cross the border, and there was no need for them to break into vehicles and stow themselves away. The four defendants charged with manslaughter all said they had not intended harm to the victims, but the judge noted that the conspiracy was committed for financial gain. a recent documentary into the deaths revealed. Witness X asked that friend for help. The journey of 23 October and the earlier failed run on 14 October were connected, said Bill Emlyn Jones, who prosecuted the case. Nguyen Van Hung's mother, Pham Thi Lan, agreed. [59], On 15 December 2020, a Vietnamese man who was believed to have been involved in transporting 10 of the 39 migrants from a safehouse in Anderlecht was arrested in Redditch by National Crime Agency officers on a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Belgian judge. Speculation was rife as drips of information were fed through, clarified and confirmed while politicians stepped in to comment on the deadly discovery. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. [75] On 8 April 2021, his extradition was approved. Shortly after 01:00, having picked up the trailer, Robinson got a SnapChat message from Ronan Hughes, his 40-year-old haulage boss from County Monaghan, Ireland. Robinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October. Someone said he should go to the UK. When Robinson discovered the bodies, there was a series of telephone conversations between him and Nica and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, before the driver eventually dialled 999. They died excruciatingly slow deaths, the judge said, of asphyxia and hyperthermia, or overheating. The trailer had been shipped from the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, to Purfleet, Essex, UK, and the lorry cab and its driver are believed to have originated from Northern Ireland. Ronan Hughes, 41, and Gheorghe Nica, 43, played "leading roles" in the smuggling conspiracy and were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively. Eight women and 31 men were sealed inside the vehicle for at least 12 hours as temperatures reached an "unbearable" 38.5C (101F). Many travelled to other countries in Europe, such as Poland and Russia, before being drawn by the prospect of finding better-paid work in the UK, a lure that saw them move west to France or Belgium before crossing the North Sea. [48], On 4 March 2020, a man from Essex was charged with an immigration offence related to the deaths. Both Robinson and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailer 22 January 2021 Essex lorry deaths The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea. On all three runs, Nica, of Basildon, Essex, had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end. Hughes, of County Monaghan, Ireland, and Robinson, who took the initial 999 call had previously admitted manslaughter. He was accused of "conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person". "This time, they simply had too many people on board," he told the Old Bailey. They are believed to have been either victims of human trafficking (for example, as forced labourers), migrants who paid smugglers to move them to the United Kingdom, or both. The bodies of 39 migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex were so closely packed together the first policeman on the scene could not check them all for signs of life, a court has heard. [84] Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, said greater international co-operation was needed to prevent similar events happening again. [28] The National Crime Agency suggested that organised crime might be involved. The judge said Nica "recruited and paid the drivers whose job it was to collect the migrants when they reached the drop-off site in this country and to drive them to the safe house(s) where they were to be held until payment". On Monday . They were found on the floor of the trailer holding hands. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. On the morning of October 23, 2019, the bodies of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children were discovered dead in the back of a lorry in Grays, Essex. He was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. Ms Andrews described ringing police again after seeing the news of the 39 deaths on social media. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. "It was a bit of a shock but we're not 100 per cent sure of what's happened.". Sign up here. Sixteen days after police officers found the pile of bodies in the back of the refrigerated lorry. He too was seeking a better life when, in February last year, he paid up to 20,000 to a trafficker in Vietnam for a visa and a place on a business studies course in Poland. Four men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex. One of the biggest murder probes in British history is launched after the horrific discovery at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays. Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened. Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, who led the investigation, described how one single fingerprint found in another one of Hughes' lorries was "gold dust", leading to another man who made the same journey a week before. They're all lying on the ground. [11] The police suspect that an Irish people-smuggling ring which has been under investigation for around a year might be involved. [51] On 16 March 2020, a man from Birmingham was charged with an immigration offence related to the incident. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. "We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on Saturday 19 October and we are working closely with our partners to investigate. "They did a brilliant job and they put us in a really strong position to continue the investigation.". [1][2] The refrigerated trailer was leased on 15 October from a rental company in County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Murder detectives try to identify 38 adults and teenager thought to have come in trailer from Belgium. [4] The deceased31 males and 8 femalesincluded 10 teenagers; the 2 youngest were 15-year-old boys.[15]. 2023 BBC. That call between Robinson and Hughes then triggered a flurry of further communications between other men involved in the trafficking operation. Ronan Hughes, 41, who ran a haulage company and organised the lorries and drivers to transport the migrants, was sentenced to 20 years at the Old Bailey on Friday. "I didn't take my eyes off the lorry while I was on the [999] call.". Four people received a custodial sentence of at least 13 years. In a tweet published shortly before 10.30am Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Im appalled by this tragic incident in Essex. The migrants died "excruciatingly painful" deaths, having suffocated in the container en route from Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019, a judge said. "He didn't go straight to the UK, he went to Germany first. [62], In June 2021 Italian authorities and the National Crime Agency arrested a 27-year-old Romanian man near Milan in connection with the deaths, charging him with conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence. While Hughes admitted manslaughter, both Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury. [68], A second man, from County Armagh, also appeared at the Central Criminal Court on 13 December and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking offences between 1 May 2018 and 24 October 2019, by arranging or facilitating the travel of other people with a view to exploitation. [88] The first part was broadcast on 4 November after re-editing in the light of the 39 deaths, despite the Home Office describing the timing as "both insensitive and irresponsible". He would say 'Daddy just needs to see Mummy and the kids'. But he couldn't find work in Germany. Investigations are being led by Essex Police, and involve the national authorities of the UK, Belgium, Ireland and Vietnam. PC Jack Emerson was one of the first at the scene. Exactly two years ago, Essex was dealt one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen. Relatives said the victims had hoped to take up work in restaurants and nail bars in Britain, and planned to send their earnings home to help support their families. Police later moved the bodies to a mortuary at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for post-mortems to be carried out. One man spoke with ragged breaths to his family, saying: I cant breathe. The victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the confined space of the truck, which arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium. It was a shock, like anybody would be shocked to see this, particularly down a lane people would not know," Ms Andrews told the Old Bailey. Essex Police said the people were all pronounced dead at the scene in an industrial park in Grays, east of London. He was immediately released having already served his sentence in custody. Witness X described how he was ushered on to the back of the trailer at a rendezvous point in northern France. "On that boat in the night, there was no-one to hear them and no-one to help them. 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After his brief drive around Grays, Robinson again parked up at the industrial estate. Hughes, an Irish haulier, alternated between legitimate shipments of waffles, soft drinks and wine from warehouses across Europe and illegal smuggling of alcohol, cigarettes and people. Police have begun the process of moving the bodies of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex. "I saw some legs come out. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Along with lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 23, he has been found guilty of manslaughter. During the trial, jurors were given a snapshot of the victims - who included a bricklayer, a university graduate and a nail bar technician - and their dreams of a better life. Robinson, of Craigavon, County Armagh, returned to his cab before driving off and making his first call to Hughes. I want to come back to my family. 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Recordings from some of the victims' final desperate phone messages were played aloud in court. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 26, of Craigavon, leaving Purfleet port, Essex, Purfleet Thames Terminal the day 39 bodies were found in a container in Grays, The lorry was discovered in Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in Grays, (Image: (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)), The 39 victims and their families had paid thousands to give them a better life in Britain, Court artist sketch of Gheorghe Nica (left) and Eamonn Harrison (right) two of four men to face trial, at the Old Bailey, Bui Phan Thang, 37, from Ha Tinh, one of the 39 Vietnamese migrants. Signing up to the newsletter is simple. The court heard Robinson - who discovered the bodies after collecting the trailer when it arrived in Purfleet, Essex - had received a message from Hughes which read: "Give them air quickly, don't let them out.". As always you can unsubscribe at any time. [49][50] In February 2020 five men and two women were charged in Vietnam with "organising or broking others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally". A restaurant worker in the industrial estate, who did not want to be named, said: "There's a lot of police and forensics. He waited for 15 minutes and then dialled 999, telling the operator: "There's immigrants in the back. The discovery of the Thurrock 39 all began with one 999 call from 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson. Read about our approach to external linking. "I could visibly see numerous half-naked bodies in the back of the trailer, lying on the trailer floor motionless," he said. Matthew Long, deputy director of National Crime Agency, said the whole idea of some kind of special service was a con. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? One of those was Nguyen Thi Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in the lorry. Robinson gave a thumbs-up in reply. Maurice Robinson, 26, the lorry driver from Northern Ireland who collected the container containing the 39 people from the port in Essex in October 2019, and also pleaded guilty last year to manslaughter and people-smuggling, was sentenced to 13 years and four months. Speaking previously, Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner, of Essex Police, said: "This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives. ", Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson and haulage boss Ronan Hughes had previously admitted the manslaughter of the migrants. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Eamonn Harrison, 24, who towed the trailer to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before their journey to the UK, was sentenced to 18 years. Have a good life.". [87], Channel 4 postponed a television series called Smuggled that was due to air on 28 October, in which British citizens try to smuggle themselves from mainland Europe to the UK. Families were worried they could still be left in debt, despite over 84,000 having been raised to help them. [23], On 3 November, Vietnamese officials provided DNA samples from people in Ngh An Province and essential documents to help identify the deceased. At 00:30 GMT on 23 October, 2019, the MV Clementine docked at Purfleet-on-Thames. Lorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, of County Armagh, and van driver Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, were also convicted of being part of the people-smuggling plot. Sign up to the EssexLive newsletter below for the latest news straight to your inbox: If you're looking for a way to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from around Essex, the EssexLive newsletter is a good place to start. It was never sent. On Saturday afternoon, Essex Police provided a fresh update revealing at the 25-year-old lorry driver had now been charged. "I want to come back to my family. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead after her family received a haunting series of text messages. Robinson had driven from Holyhead, a major Irish Sea port in north-west Wales, to collect the trailer. [21] The family of a 26-year-old Vietnamese woman made public her last text message to her parents which she sent as she was dying;[22] her family said they paid around 30,000 to smuggle their daughter from Vietnam to the UK. After several months in Poland, he made the journey to France with his heart set on making it across the channel to the UK. ", Cousins Hoang Van Tiep (left), 18, and Nguyen Van Hung, 33, died together in the container, Both Maurice Robinson (left) and Ronan Hughes admitted 39 counts of manslaughter in connection with the case, After receiving this message from his boss, Robinson got out of his cab, opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies, Gheorghe Nica, Eamonn Harrison and Christopher Kennedy were all part of the people-smuggling conspiracy, Ronan Hughes (left) was captured on CCTV meeting Gheorghe Nica at a hotel, Twelve days before 39 people were found dead in the back of a lorry, the same cab was seen repeatedly in a country lane in Orsett, Essex, This is the moment Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV, A relative paid tribute to Bui Thi Nhung as families mourned the deaths of the 39 people. thank you for your support during this difficult time, 79 impala bolt pattern, to timestamp azure data factory, jeff carter singer, man finds giant rocket in forest, the uncertainty in the measurement 206300 m is, sister rosamund lupton ending explained, how to increase crime safety in tropico 5, michaela johnson and alan miner wedding, carroll county circuit court docket, alonzo cantu billionaire, seattle police uniform, pwc australia new partners 2020, triumph america aftermarket parts, dan pearce eastenders,

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