"My message to you is that we will find you and we will stop you.". 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 . [4][14] The lorry driver was a 25-year-old man from Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. [98] After confirmation that they were all from Vietnam, the Vietnamese government strongly condemned human trafficking and called on all countries to combat such activities to prevent a recurrence of the incident. [92][93] The question was then further criticised by Chinese media after the victims were found not to be Chinese. 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. People are told to be of Chinese origin were involved in the trailer. At the Old Bailey, two lorry drivers were also jailed for manslaughter. the long drive ps4. . His father, Hoang Van Lanh, believed his son was tricked, possibly at the last moment. From EssexLive for 13,000 for 13,000 shortly afterwards dealt one of the cab and opened the holding! "I didn't take my eyes off the lorry while I was on the [999] call.". Heavy Police presence in MercerCounty this morning in an industrial area of Trenton.lowered power lines over a box truck & a cherry picker surrounded by crime scene tape. [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. During the voyage, the temperature rose from the high 20s all the way up to 38.5C (101F), by which point the air was too toxic for human life. Earlier this month, Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, was sentenced, having admitted his limited role in the people-smuggling operation. His boss, Hughes, had messaged him: "Give them air quickly don't let them out.". [19][20], Initially the police said the deceased were all Chinese nationals and the Chinese embassy in London sent officials to assist with identification. "We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process. [48], On 4 November, Vietnamese police arrested eight suspects in the central province of Ngh An in connection with the smuggling ring. Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened. He pleaded guilty last year to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to bring people into the country unlawfully. His father, Hoang Van Lanh, believed his son was tricked, possibly at the last moment. Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, was jailed for seven years; Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, for four-and-a-half years; and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, was given a three-year sentence. The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK, [Left to right] Eamonn Harrison, Ronan Hughes, Gheorghe Nica and Maurice Robinson were all jailed for manslaughter, [Left to right] Valentin Calota, Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga and Christopher Kennedy were also sentenced on Friday, The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October 2019, After receiving this message from his boss, Robinson got out of his cab, opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies, The moment lorry driver Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV, Ronan Hughes (left) met Gheorghe Nica at a budget hotel in Thurrock, Essex, learned of his son's death via social media, admitted his limited role in the people-smuggling operation, US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Celebrities who say their children will get no inheritance, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser. One of them was Gheorghe Nica. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [14] The investigation was the "largest mass fatality victim identification" investigation in the history of Essex Police. 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. "They loaded too many people into a single trailer the people smugglers were under pressure to double up. PC Jack Emerson was one of the first at the scene. ", Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. This article contains extremely graphic crime scene photos! [4][14] The lorry driver was a 25-year-old man from Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. ", 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. He said on the fatal trip the temperature had been rising along with the carbon dioxide levels throughout, hitting 40C (104F) while the container was at sea on 22 October 2019. [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. "There is no VIP service - these are the lies people are told to be exploited," he said. Have you been affected by this morning's incident? RM2CJ3AKJ - Police officers are seen at the scene where bodies were discovered in a lorry container, in Grays, Essex, Britain October 24, 2019. OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, who's accused of killing her boyfriend, Obumseli, remains behind bars on second-degree murder charges. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Additionally, money was donated by Vingroup, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. During the lengthy court cases at the Old Bailey in London, shocking details from the tragedy were uncovered. "Maybe going to die in the container, can't breathe any more dear," read a text message typed by Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh. "For the 39 men and women inside, that lorry had become their tomb. Officer Maxime Saison was on duty in France that night and told how the migrants, speaking in English, confirmed they were Vietnamese and had no documentation. Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, was jailed for seven years; Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, for four-and-a-half years; and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, was given a three-year sentence. [84] Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, said greater international co-operation was needed to prevent similar events happening again. The cars collecting the people inside the lorry drove away from the scene. Jan. 19, 2022. In addition, Valentin Calota from Birmingham and Christopher Kennedy, from County Armagh, were found guilty of immigration offences. [51] On 16 March 2020, a man from Birmingham was charged with an immigration offence related to the incident. [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. Of manslaughter, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe a con roof but only managed dent! Instead of immediately dialling 999 in the early hours of 23 October, 2019, the 26-year-old's first instinct was to get back in to his cab and drive off from the estate in Grays, with the bodies in the trailer behind him. These are the first photographs of the lorry where 39 bodies were discovered today. [69] Counsel for the defence argued that many of the alleged offences occurred outside the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and that the extradition warrant was unclear about whether the United Kingdom was asserting that the alleged offences occurred in UK jurisdiction or were extraterritorial. Investigations revealed that they had changed their minds culprits were jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds the! [71][72] Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, of Tilbury, and Gazmir Nuzi, of Tottenham, also pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration in June and September 2020 respectively. essex lorry deaths crime scene photos. However the involvement of the lorry drivers offered them no protection when too many people were packed into one container. He slowly brought the lorry to a stop at the industrial estate, got out of the cab and opened the trailer door. 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. [9] It arrived in Purfleet, a town with a port on the Thames, at around 00:30 on 23 October and was picked up with the cab there about half-an-hour later. They leave behind two children in Vietnam. 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. He was charged with 41 offences, including 39 of manslaughter, and extradition proceedings began in the Irish High Court. He also denied conspiring to assist unlawful immigration over the same period, but did not enter any plea regarding 39 charges of manslaughter with which he was charged. Ms Andrews described ringing police again after seeing the news of the 39 deaths on social media. 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. [4] Following the incident, the Chief Executive of the charity group Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said that the British government needs to open safe routes and make quick decisions regarding asylum seekers to prevent such attempts, sentiments echoed by the Refugee and Migrant Rights Director of Amnesty International UK. [79], On 22 January 2021 the culprits were jailed for the incident. His barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was "horrified by what he saw". Associations across Europe they loaded too many people were packed into one container we have arrested lorry. 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