[1][2] The refrigerated trailer was leased on 15 October from a rental company in County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Those inside had stripped to their underwear in the sweltering heat and tried to bash their way out of the trailer's roof. All of the others convicted were Vietnamese or Belgians of Vietnamese origin and were accused of buying supplies for the migrants, transporting them in taxis or acting as look-outs at safe houses. Read about our approach to external linking. DCI Daniel Stoten, the officer who lead the Essex Police investigation into the deaths, earlier said that Hughes, 40, made up to 1million each month in his people-smuggling operation. Sentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney said: "I have no doubt that the conspiracy was a sophisticated, long-running and profitable one to smuggle mainly Vietnamese people across the channel.". Det Ch Insp Stoten said: "This crime group have been stopped on many, many, occasions in Europe and the UK - and they continued. [13] The lorry was in Eastern Avenue at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex. Read about our approach to external linking. ", Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. "This time, they simply had too many people on board," he told the Old Bailey. Heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK he Industrial Park in Grays, Robinson again parked up at the scene believed his son was tricked, possibly the! "Maybe going to die in the container, can't breathe any more dear," read a text message typed by Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He described how he desperately searched for "signs of life", a pulse or a breath. [51][52], On 29 January 2020, a man from Essex, who was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, was detained in Frankfurt. They were found on the floor of the trailer holding hands. Is Royce O'neale Related To Shaquille O'neal, Bienvenido a . VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. [54] On 20 April 2020 a 40-year-old man was arrested in the Republic of Ireland in connection with the deaths. [89], In October 2021, the BBC broadcast the hour-long documentary Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers. 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. my girl thomas j death. Mr Justice Sweeney said that in the conspiracy "two played leading roles, namely - in order of importance - Hughes and Nica". The stories of the 39 show their journeys from Vietnam were often done in stages. The 23-year-old, from Darkley, County Armagh. Mr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half. What you need to know. . Emailwebnews@trinitymirror.com. [79], On 22 January 2021 the culprits were jailed for the incident. [16][17] There have been a number of incidents in which migrants to Europe died or were injured as a result of dangerous transportation methods. Home; Products. It's one of the many ways that you can read the news that matters to you from EssexLive. Tiep's mother, Hoang Thi Ai, told the BBC why they had changed their minds. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. On 23 November, it was reported that one of the teenagers later found dead had gone missing from an asylum centre in the Netherlands. Problem here - dead bodies in the trailer door informed Essex police who! [60], On 17 March 2021 a 23-year-old haulier from Caledon, County Tyrone was charged with conspiracy to assist illegal immigration in connection with the deaths. Essex lorry deaths: Trafficking ringleader jailed for 15 years after 39 died from suffocation and hyperthermia Eight women and 31 men were sealed inside the vehicle for at least 12 hours as . It was accepted he was not a member of the organised crime group behind the smuggling operation. What's he waiting for? Inside was an almost unimaginable sight: 39 people, 10 of them teenagers, were dead. [77], On 11 January 2021, Gazmir Nuzi was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment after admitting a limited role in the smuggling ring, with the prosecution accepting that he was not part of the organised crime group. "We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process. [59] The police operation was organised with a cross-border team organised by Eurojust that included Belgium, France, the UK and Ireland. The stories of the 39 show their journeys from Vietnam were often done in stages. Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten said: "May this serve as a warning to those who think it's OK to prey on the vulnerabilities of migrants and their families, transporting them in a way worse than we would transport animals. "For the 39 men and women inside, that lorry had become their tomb. "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. It is understood Phong is currently subject of further police inquiries but his full identity has not been revealed. RM GA0448 - A police officer at the scene of a shooting at Rayleigh railway station in Essex, after a member of the public was shot armed robbers today. After several months in Poland, he made the journey to France with his heart set on making it across the channel to the UK. Nica flew out of the country the next day. [40] He was remanded in custody, to appear at the Central Criminal Court on 25 November. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue. [102] By the end of November, all bodies had been repatriated to Vietnam. [56] His solicitor applied for bail and the prosecution opposed it. Numbers of Vietnamese people reported as potential human trafficking victims in the past three years. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK. The message said: "Give them air quickly don't let them out". 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. At 00:30 GMT on 23 October, 2019, the MV Clementine docked at Purfleet-on-Thames. Ronan Hughes, 41, and Gheorghe Nica, 43, played "leading roles" in the smuggling conspiracy and were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively. "[64], in July 2022, Essex Police released an image of a man who is wanted in connection with the deaths. He was immediately released having already served his sentence in custody. On 23 October 2019, the bodies of 39 Vietnamese people 31 men and 8 women were found in the trailer of an articulated refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex, United Kingdom. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [35], On 25 October, police arrested a man and a woman from Warrington, Cheshire, on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people,[36] and another man at Stansted Airport regarding the same offences. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Read about our approach to external linking. A relentless rise in temperature the `` largest mass fatality victim identification '' investigation in background. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager. Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises. [11] The police suspect that an Irish people-smuggling ring which has been under investigation for around a year might be involved. People are told to be of Chinese origin were involved in the trailer. The journey of 23 October and the earlier failed run on 14 October were connected, said Bill Emlyn Jones, who prosecuted the case. [26] Names, ages and hometowns were released on 8 November; 20 were from Ngh An Province, 10 from H Tnh, 4 from Haiphong, 3 from Qung Bnh, 1 from Din Chu District and 1 from Tha Thin-Hu. They died excruciatingly slow deaths, the judge said, of asphyxia and hyperthermia, or overheating. On 23 October 2019, the bodies of 39 Vietnamese people 31 men and 8 women were found in the trailer of an articulated refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex, United Kingdom. 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. [35], On 25 October, police arrested a man and a woman from Warrington, Cheshire, on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people,[36] and another man at Stansted Airport regarding the same offences. "All we know is they found the bodies in the back of a lorry. The bodies were packed so tightly together, he said, that he could only check "the bodies I could reach". Investigations revealed that they had changed their minds culprits were jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds the! Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Traffic is queueing as a result of the incident, which was . Read about our approach to external linking. Communicating on the messaging app Viber, Phong agreed to arrange the trip for Witness X for 13,000. A 25-year-old lorry driver from Northern Ireland has been arrested, Essex Police says. [99], Families of those who died told reporters that they had been told that neither the British nor Vietnamese governments were willing to cover the cost of repatriating the bodies back to their homes. Both men had made it as far as France - Tiep, via Russia, in 2017, and his older cousin a year later. [94][95][96] At the Old Bailey, two lorry drivers were also jailed for manslaughter. Alongside the crucial testimony - giving a voice to the 39 - Essex Police was able to extradite Ronan Hughes back to the UK from Ireland. Uk where he was returned to his family, saying: I cant breathe was 6th.! He would say 'Daddy just needs to see Mummy and the kids'. After he called 999, police arrived to find the horrific scene - but where concerned. Tiep's mother, Hoang Thi Ai, told the BBC why they had changed their minds. "I immediately recognised this cab and trailer on the news as certainly being the same one that I had seen on both 11 October and 18 October, 2019," she said. essex lorry deaths crime scene photos. From Bierne, the lorry is seen on CCTV footage making its way across France and towards the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, where it was left to be loaded unaccompanied on to a ferry called the MV Clementine. Smugglers often force migrants to work off the cost of the trip in slave-like conditions. Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, of Essex Police, said: "They are callous and they are dangerous and they are out to exploit these people. [46][47] In February 2020, the man was given leave to appeal the extradition judgment. Additionally, money was donated by Vingroup, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe. [5][6][7][8] The trailer was loaded onto the freight ferry Clementine in Zeebrugge in Belgium. The gangs are known for smuggling people into other countries and are often. These are the first photographs of the lorry where 39 bodies were discovered today. 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