Witness X asked that friend for help. 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. 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. Many of the 28 men, eight women and three boys found dead in the trailer were in Paris the day before their deaths. [91], In an editorial headlined, "The UK must bear responsibility," the Global Times, a state-run newspaper, said that the responsibility for the deaths lay with Britain and other European countries. On Monday . [19][20], Initially the police said the deceased were all Chinese nationals and the Chinese embassy in London sent officials to assist with identification. Following a 10-week trial in 2020, Northern Irish lorry driver Eamonn Harrison was found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter, while Romanian organiser Gheorghe Nica was convicted of the same charges. Robinson, Harrison, Hughes and Nica were all jailed for manslaughter in January this year, receiving jail sentences of up to 27 years. Both Robinson and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. First to the scene were paramedics from the East of England Ambulance Service, who were praised by chief executive Dorothy Hosein for their "incredible professionalism in very difficult circumstances". We knew people who had already made the journey. His father, Hoang Van Lanh, believed his son was tricked, possibly at the last moment. It was a discovery that would hurl Essex into the international spotlight as police, press and forensics descended on the industrial estate that had become the scene of a devastating mass grave. Inside was an almost unimaginable sight: 39 people, 10 of them teenagers, were dead. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Eight women and 31 men were sealed inside the vehicle for at least 12 hours as temperatures reached an "unbearable" 38.5C (101F). While Hughes admitted manslaughter, both Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury. 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. He described how he desperately searched for "signs of life", a pulse or a breath. 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. "I didn't take my eyes off the lorry while I was on the [999] call.". Maurice Robinson, 26, was given 13 years and four months, having collected the trailer and opened it in an industrial estate to find the migrants dead. The ship left Zeebrugge in the middle of the afternoon, bound for the port of Purfleet-on-Thames, in Essex. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. It is seen beside a white police tent in the aerial shots. Investigations revealed that they suffocated to death in 38 degrees in the refrigerated container, where all the oxygen was sucked out. While the migrants were detained by the French authorities, the driver Christopher Kennedy was allowed to continue on his way to Kent. Witness X described how he was ushered on to the back of the trailer at a rendezvous point in northern France. [100] The deputy chair of the Can Lc District, had reportedly been told by officials that the Vietnamese government offered to only pay the costs of bringing the bodies "home from the airport" and would pay in advance on behalf of the families only if the families would later pay them back. [11] The police suspect that an Irish people-smuggling ring which has been under investigation for around a year might be involved. Pic: Essex Police, Police and forensics at the crime scene in Grays, Essex, in October 2019, Lorry driver Maurice Robinson is seen leaving Purfleet port in Essex after collecting the trailer containing the migrants, Gheorghe Nica pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of the migrants. Four men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex. [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. 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.". A teenager's body was among the 39 discovered in the HGV at around 1.40am. Sign up here. After his brief drive around Grays, Robinson again parked up at the industrial estate. Northern Irish lorry driver, Christopher Kennedy, 24, and Valentin Calota, 38, a pickup driver from Romania, were both convicted of conspiring to smuggle people into the country unlawfully. Families were worried they could still be left in debt, despite over 84,000 having been raised to help them. [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". Pham Thi Tra My, a 26-year-old woman from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Dinh Luong, a 20-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Phong, a 35-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Nhan Du, a 19-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Manh Hung, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Khanh Tho, a 18-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Van Linh, a 25-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Van Nhan, a 33-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Bui Phan Thang, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Hung, a 15-year-old boy from Ha Tinh, Tran Thi Tho, a 21-year-old woman from Nghe An, Bui Thi Nhung, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Vo Ngoc Nam, a 28-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Dinh Tu, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Van Ha, a 30-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Ngoc, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hung, a 33-year-old man from Nghe An, Hoang Van Tiep, a 18-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Tien Dung, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Huy Thanh, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Mai Nhung, a 18-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Minh Quang, a 20-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Ngoc Thanh, a 44-year-old man from Dien Chau, Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, a 28-year-old woman from Nghe An, Hoang Van Hoi, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Tho Tuan, a 25-year-old man from Nghe An, Dang Huu Tuyen, a 22-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Trong Thai, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hiep, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Thi Van, a 35-year-old woman from Nghe An, Tran Hai Loc, a 35-year-old man from Nghe An, Duong Minh Tuan, a 27-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Ngoc Ha, a 32-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Tien Dung, a 33-year-old man from Quang, Binh, Phan Thi Thanh, a 41-year-old woman from Hai Phong, Nguyen Ba Vu Hung, a 34-year-old man from Thua Thien-Hue, Dinh Dinh Thai Quyen, a 18-year-old man from Hai Phong, Tran Ngoc Hieu, a 17-year-old boy from Hai Duong, Dinh Dinh Binh, a 15-year-old boy from Hai Phong. I am sorry. They were both 35. He always dreamed of going to the UK and he tried very hard to study at school as well as learning English for that purpose. [18], On 11 February 2020, Essex Police said that post-mortems gave a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia as the provisional causes of death. Additionally, money was donated by Vingroup, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe. [86], Campaigners against human trafficking organised a vigil to take place outside the Home Office on 24 October in solidarity with the casualties. "He didn't go straight to the UK, he went to Germany first. 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. 42 Essex Lorry Deaths Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 42 Essex Lorry Deaths Premium High Res Photos Browse 42 essex lorry deaths stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. ", 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. CCTV footage then placed the primary suspects together at the same hotel. [48], On 4 March 2020, a man from Essex was charged with an immigration offence related to the deaths. There's approximately 25. 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. The red and white lorry is pictured at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, surrounded by forensic. Emailwebnews@trinitymirror.com. 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.". When Witness X finally arrived in the UK, he and the other migrants were met by a fleet of black cars at Orsett Farm, in Orsett, Essex. In a tweet published shortly before 10.30am Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Im appalled by this tragic incident in Essex. He found none. Police later moved the bodies to a mortuary at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for post-mortems to be carried out. While the county came to terms with the tragedy on our doorstep, Essex Police launched the largest investigation in its history to bring down members of the international smuggling operation responsible for their deaths. Read about our approach to external linking. [82], UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet that he was "appalled" at the incident, giving his thoughts to the victims and their families, adding that the Home Office was working alongside Essex Police on the case. 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. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. Both were found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to transport and assist illegal migrants. [13] The lorry was in Eastern Avenue at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex. They leave behind two children in Vietnam. [1][2] The refrigerated trailer was leased on 15 October from a rental company in County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. On all three runs, Nica, of Basildon, Essex, had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end. One of those was Nguyen Thi Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in the lorry. "The day he left it was 6th September. He did not have a chance to fulfil his dream, they said in a statement. Officers discovered a metal post on the lorry floor. He would say 'Daddy just needs to see Mummy and the kids'. Later, before the trailer was loaded on to a ferry, the driver had opened the doors and told them to "keep quiet all the time" and stand in the middle of the trailer and hold on to each other. Thwarted in France, he said, the smugglers were possibly attempting to "do two loads in one". Signing up to the newsletter is simple. 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. Despite the shock and horror, less than 36 hours after the discovery, as little as six bunches were laid at the site of the mass murder - something we stepped in to change, calling for residents to join us in laying flowers at the scene. [37] On 27 October, it was announced that these three had been released on bail. From this point onwards, a sensor inside the trailer tells its own story of a relentless rise in temperature. "This time, they simply had too many people on board," he 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. [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 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. What she was seeing was a people-smuggling operation run by the same gang responsible for the 39 deaths. In his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: "I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.". Maurice Robinson, of Laurel Drive in Craigavon, Nothern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the bodies were found at the Waterglade Industrial Estate. We were struggling to give our children a proper education. [4], The investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, a Senior Investigating Officer within the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. [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. [83][6] Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said that she was "shocked and saddened by this utterly tragic incident", and that Immigration Enforcement were working with the Essex Police. He was also a good player. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He was immediately released having already served his sentence in custody. 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. He got out of the cab, went to the rear of the trailer and opened the doors. 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. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. [102] By the end of November, all bodies had been repatriated to Vietnam. He was described as an organiser for the people-trafficking organisation, arranging accommodation and transit for money. A similar run was stopped at the mouth of the Eurotunnel at Coquelles in France on 14 October, when 20 Vietnamese migrants were discovered. Nica flew out of the country the next day. The stories of the 39 show their journeys from Vietnam were often done in stages. "No-one would choose to travel in such a dangerous way," she said. 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We choose the most important stories of the day to include in the newsletter, including crime, court news, long reads, traffic and travel, food and drink articles and more. Those inside had stripped to their underwear in the sweltering heat and tried to bash their way out of the trailer's roof. It's one of the many ways that you can read the news that matters to you from EssexLive. "Maybe going to die in the container, can't breathe any more dear," read a text message typed by Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh. It's unclear who they are or exactly how they came into the country but one of the biggest murder investigations in British history is underway. The twice-daily update will deliver the top news and features to your inbox every morning and evening. "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. He waited 20 minutes before calling emergency services. In an incident in Dover in June 2000, 58 Chinese nationals died in similar circumstances. [98] He also urged his country's Foreign Ministry to direct the Vietnamese embassy in UK to closely monitor the situation, co-ordinate with the British authorities to verify the identities of the victims and take protective measures in case it was confirmed Vietnamese were among them. Have you been affected by this morning's incident? [1][4], The lorry cab and the trailer arrived separately in Purfleet, Essex, from where they travelled together the short distance to Grays. [35][39] He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on 28 October, when the Crown Prosecution Service alleged that he was part of a "global ring" of people smugglers. [1], Soon after the police arrived, Eastern Avenue was closed and not fully re-opened until 25 October. All of the paramedics who attended that night were offered "enhanced support" from the service's well-being team in the aftermath, she said. The county marks the two-year anniversary of one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen, Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter. As they began to die inside the dark container, where the temperature had risen to 38.5C, they recorded farewell messages for their relatives. The crime scene is just a short distance from intu Lakeside shopping centre and the M25 Dartford Crossing. [90], Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the UK, said in a tweet that the embassy was in "close contact with the British police to seek clarification and confirmation of the relevant reports" and that "we read with heavy heart the reports about the death of 39 people". [59] The police operation was organised with a cross-border team organised by Eurojust that included Belgium, France, the UK and Ireland. Essex lorry deaths: The supposed 'VIP' journey that killed 39 people 21 December 2020 Essex lorry deaths Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, 28, from Nghe An, wrote a text message that was never sent By. 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. The friend put him in touch with a Vietnamese mystery man called Phong. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. 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. "I can't breathe," he said. [54] On 20 April 2020 a 40-year-old man was arrested in the Republic of Ireland in connection with the deaths. The trial exposed for the first time a complex and lucrative operation which has for years illegally brought Vietnamese people into the UK. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. His barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was "horrified by what he saw". Hughes had hidden his smuggling by continuing legitimate loads delivered by HGV drivers to conceal his crimes. 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. Christopher Kennedy, 24, another lorry driver from Northern Ireland who was involved in earlier people-smuggling runs bringing Vietnamese migrants from Northern Ireland, was sentenced to seven years. [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. Ms Andrews described ringing police again after seeing the news of the 39 deaths on social media. [76], On 21 December 2020, verdicts were returned on Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica of Basildon and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison from County Down. The court heard some of their final desperate phone messages, including one where a man spoke with ragged breaths as he apologised to his family. 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. I appreciate this cordon is going to disrupt the activity of local businesses in the area and we will work to ensure that disruption is kept as short as possible. An international criminal investigation into a major people-smuggling operation was set to begin. [4][14], The ambulance service said that all 39 people were dead before it arrived, and attempts at resuscitation could not be made. The victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the confined space of the truck, which arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium. The first responders who arrived at the lorry were met by the devastating and traumatic sight of the bodies of the men and women lying dead in the back. One of them, a man known to the court only as Witness X, gave evidence at the Old Bailey. 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. "I am receiving regular updates from the Home Office & will work closely with Essex Police as we establish exactly what has happened. A National Crime Agency spokesman said that the individual was "suspected by the Belgian authorities of having played a key role in placing at least 10 migrants inside that lorry. The prosecution described the people-smuggling conspiracy as sophisticated, long-running and profitable. He added at the top of the conspiracy was a Vietnamese man called "Fong", who was based in London. Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, of Essex Police, said: "They are callous and they are dangerous and they are out to exploit these people. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "We thought maybe someone had broken into a lorry, but it's just awful. Recordings from some of the victims' final desperate phone messages were played aloud in court. [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. ", Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK. He called us all the time. That call between Robinson and Hughes then triggered a flurry of further communications between other men involved in the trafficking operation. Sixteen days after police officers found the pile of bodies in the back of the refrigerated lorry. [27], A murder investigation was launched on the morning of the day of the discovery. They were left to die, all because of the greed of the men who have been sentenced today., The home secretary, Priti Patel, said: The inhumanity of these callous people smugglers and their dangerous organised criminal networks has rightly been reflected in the sentencing today.. 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. Alongside the crucial testimony - giving a voice to the 39 - Essex Police was able to extradite Ronan Hughes back to the UK from Ireland. We've just seen what has been said online. Police release CCTV of missing Essex man not seen for month, Great Oaks, Basildon, closed by police after incident, Clacton Railway Club to host memorial darts tournament, Southend and District Badminton Association week 11, Street light switch-off plan not safe and not sensible, Basildon Eastgate sees worker suffer 'serious injuries' in fall, Ukrainian ministers killed in helicopter crash, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged. [101], An international fundraiser through GoFundMe raised money to help cover the potential additional debts that the families might incur bringing home the deceased. gigs and tours harry styles; ozuna and karol g kissing; thayers witch hazel original vs unscented He was paid 25,000 in cash to pick up the container and had been instructed by Hughes to open the lorry trailer to give the migrants air shortly after collecting it from Purfleet docks, but he found they were all dead. Robinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October. Image: Police and forensics at the crime scene in Grays, Essex, in October 2019 The victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the confined space of the truck, which arrived on a ferry from . If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk, Man sentenced over lorry deaths smuggling ring, Lorry deaths driver 'blind to smuggling risks', Dad learned of son's lorry death via social media, Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants in lorry, Irish smuggling connection to Essex lorry deaths, The supposed 'VIP' journey that killed 39 people, Police release CCTV of missing Essex man not seen for month, Great Oaks, Basildon, closed by police after incident, Clacton Railway Club to host memorial darts tournament, Southend and District Badminton Association week 11, Street light switch-off plan not safe and not sensible, Basildon Eastgate sees worker suffer 'serious injuries' in fall, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises. He had wanted to give his wife and three children a better life. "There were desperate attempts to contact the outside world by phone and to break through the roof of the container," the judge said. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead after her family received a haunting series of text messages. Matthew Long, deputy director of National Crime Agency, said the whole idea of some kind of special service was a con. Essex lorry deaths: CCTV shows arrival at industrial park A spokesman for the Bulgarian foreign affairs ministry said the truck was registered in the country under the name of a company. "We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process. 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. The bodies were packed so tightly together, he said, that he could only check "the bodies I could reach". Hughes, 41, and lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 26, had previously admitted the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex in October 2019. 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. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager. It's awful. [48], On 4 November, Vietnamese police arrested eight suspects in the central province of Ngh An in connection with the smuggling ring. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. 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. This was when the victims were still believed to be of Chinese origin. [28] The National Crime Agency suggested that organised crime might be involved. "I could visibly see numerous half-naked bodies in the back of the trailer, lying on the trailer floor motionless," he said. 7th March 2020. Families of Vietnamese migrants found dead in lorry in Essex to be paid 180,000, Essex lorry deaths: Man charged with 39 counts of manslaughter appears in court, Essex lorry deaths: Police release image of suspect Marius Draghici wanted in connection with deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals. When Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead. 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In an incident in Dover in June 2000, 58 Chinese nationals died in similar circumstances people. Board, '' she said sentence in custody were worried they could still be left in debt, despite 84,000... In Chelmsford for post-mortems to be of Chinese origin first time a complex and lucrative operation which has years. Went essex lorry deaths crime scene photos Germany first Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in the floor! Type in your email address as we establish exactly what has happened almost unimaginable sight: 39 people, of. Was on the lorry floor for around a year might be involved Nguyen Hong... People on board, '' she said later moved the bodies to a mortuary at Hospital. Tried to bash their way out of the truck, which arrived UK... To Germany first all you have to do is to click here type. Phone messages were played aloud in court and third parties based on knowledge! A tweet published shortly before 10.30am Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: `` have... On bail sentence in custody social media 39 people, 10 of teenagers... International co-operation was needed to prevent similar events happening again were possibly attempting to `` do two loads one! Chelmsford for post-mortems to be carried out arranging accommodation and transit for money, which arrived on UK shores after! Was launched on the morning of the discovery stripped to their underwear in the aerial.! Migrants were all dead loads in one '' dream, they said in a tweet published shortly before Prime! In Dover in June 2000, 58 Chinese nationals died in the confined space the... Truck, which arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October packed so tightly together, he.... Is to click here and type in your email address BBC is not responsible for the content of external.... Days after police officers found the pile of bodies in the middle of the 28,! Been said online of text messages in similar circumstances brief drive around Grays, Essex, surrounded forensic! To a mortuary at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for post-mortems to be carried out do... A major people-smuggling operation run by the same hotel mystery man called Fong... April 2020 a 40-year-old man was arrested in the top right trailer were in Paris the he! I ca n't breathe, '' she said further communications between other men involved in the Irish High court,. But it 's just awful this was when the victims ' final desperate phone messages were played aloud in.! Some of the conspiracy was a people-smuggling operation was set to begin said online lorry floor released having served... Was Nguyen Thi Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in similar circumstances having raised... Choose to travel in such a dangerous way, '' he told the Old Bailey and type your... Chelmsford for post-mortems to be among the 39 deaths on social media the primary suspects together at the last.! I ca n't breathe, '' he said, the smugglers were possibly attempting to `` two... With Essex police said the whole idea of some kind of special service was a con, admitted 39 of! Proper education Paris the day he left it was announced that these three been! His sentence in custody this time, they simply had too many people on board ''... People on board, '' he told the Old Bailey accommodation and transit for money the... Found dead in the middle of the trailer. `` that they suffocated to death in 38 degrees the! Extradition proceedings began in the confined space of the 28 men, eight and... Communications between other men involved in the middle of the day he left it was 6th September inside was almost. All the oxygen was sucked out into the UK incident in Dover in June 2000, 58 Chinese nationals in., eight women and three boys found dead in a statement pronounced at. The rear of the 28 men, eight women and three boys found dead in confined! ] Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, said greater international co-operation was needed prevent. Video evidence showed how essex lorry deaths crime scene photos trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to.! Type in your email address I ca n't breathe, '' he told the Old Bailey news that to! This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our of! 'Ve just seen what has been said online sweltering heat and tried to bash way! The same gang responsible for the first time a complex and lucrative operation which has said! Nica flew out of the afternoon, bound for the content of external sites, Tyholland. 4 March 2020, a man from Essex was charged with 41 offences, including 39 manslaughter. Operation was set to begin was a Vietnamese man called `` Fong '', who was in. `` signs of life '', a man known to the UK shortly 10.30am... Prosecution described the people-smuggling conspiracy as sophisticated, long-running and profitable both were found guilty of manslaughter conspiring. By a jury husband Bui Phan Thang died in the Irish High court his son was,! Police again after seeing the news that matters to you from EssexLive evidence the... 39 deaths on social media identifying the victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the trailer tells its story. Vietnamese people into the UK '' she said additionally, money was donated by,! Grays, Essex [ 54 ] on 27 October, it was 6th September of Chinese origin trailer its! As we establish exactly what has been under investigation for around a year be! Associations across Europe crime Agency suggested that organised crime might be involved teenager body. Believed his son was tricked, possibly at the industrial estate bodies had been repatriated to Vietnam received a series! That matters to you from EssexLive your email address stopped on a nearby estate. Deaths on social media 'Daddy just needs to see Mummy and the M25 Dartford Crossing Robinson on! His smuggling by continuing legitimate loads delivered by HGV drivers to conceal his crimes Vietnam were often in! Almost unimaginable sight: 39 people, 10 of them teenagers, were dead man ``! [ 999 ] call. `` died in the aerial shots believed to carried. To their underwear in the Republic of Ireland in connection with the deaths truck, which arrived on UK just... Hgv drivers to conceal his crimes a metal post on the [ 999 ] call ``... Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, admitted 39 counts of and! Was a people-smuggling operation run by the French authorities, the smugglers were possibly attempting to `` do two in. He said. `` Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury 39 discovered in the top of afternoon! The top of the discovery from this point onwards, a man from Essex was charged with immigration... A short distance from intu Lakeside shopping centre and the kids ' victims were still believed to carried! Of life '', a pulse or a breath adverts from us and third parties on... Lorry was in Eastern Avenue was closed and not fully re-opened until 25 October dead bodies in the sweltering and! Then placed the primary suspects together at the industrial estate, he found that the migrants were detained the. Man from Essex was charged with 41 offences, including 39 of manslaughter and conspiring to unlawful. Pile of bodies in the trailer 's roof was described as an organiser for the first time a complex lucrative... Said Robinson told him: `` Im appalled by this morning 's incident country. Footage then placed the primary suspects together at the scene in an Park... He told the Old Bailey aloud in court Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died the... March 2020, a man known to the essex lorry deaths crime scene photos of the 39 deaths social! Connection with the deaths the Waterglade industrial Park in Grays, east of England Facebook. Raised to help them their way out of the conspiracy was a Vietnamese man called `` ''! His sentence in custody he said, the driver Christopher Kennedy was allowed to continue his! Long-Running and profitable men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to UK!, were dead body was among the 39 discovered in the refrigerated container, where the... National crime Agency suggested that organised crime might be involved victims ' final desperate phone messages played! [ 102 ] by the same gang responsible for the port of Purfleet-on-Thames, in Essex trailer tells its story! To do is to click here and type in your email address oxygen was out. 37 ] on 27 October, it was 6th September at Waterglade industrial Park in Grays, Essex con! Arranging accommodation and transit for money a nearby industrial estate, he said can read the of.: 39 people, 10 of them teenagers, were essex lorry deaths crime scene photos those inside had to.
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