[51] On 16 March 2020, a man from Birmingham was charged with an immigration offence related to the incident. 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. A father of one of the deceased said he was given two options: having the ashes returned for 41,100,000 Vietnam dong (1,470) or receiving the body for 66,240,000 Vietnam dong (2,209). 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 . [48], On 4 November, Vietnamese police arrested eight suspects in the central province of Ngh An in connection with the smuggling ring. 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. Have a good life. Emailwebnews@trinitymirror.com. "This time, they simply had too many people on board," he told the Old Bailey. 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. [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". Update: Essex police have confirmed that no further action will be taken against Christopher Hughes. "We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue. Investigations are being led by Essex Police, and involve the national authorities of the UK, Belgium, Ireland and Vietnam. [73][74], In January 2021, an extradition hearing was held at Westminster Magistrates' Court for a Vietnamese man, said to be aged 18, who appeared via videolink from HM Prison Wandsworth accused of transporting 10 of the 39 from a safehouse in Anderlecht. 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. "All were to no avail and, before the ship reached Purfleet, [the victims] all died in what must have been an excruciatingly painful death. 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. [51][52], On 29 January 2020, a man from Essex, who was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, was detained in Frankfurt. a recent documentary into the deaths revealed. 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". [65], On 25 November 2019, Maurice Robinson pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to conspiring with others to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property. 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. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK. 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. [5] In the evening of 23 October, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced that they would also investigate the lorry's transit through their country. In September 2019, the younger cousin asked his parents if he could travel to the UK. 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 . CCTV footage then placed the primary suspects together at the same hotel. [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. Speculation was rife as drips of information were fed through, clarified and confirmed while politicians stepped in to comment on the deadly discovery. "All we know is they found the bodies in the back of a lorry. [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. Five people were found not guilty. 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 between. The trailer's jammed. [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. He waited for 15 minutes and then dialled 999, telling the operator: "There's immigrants in the back. He was returned to the UK where he was charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. Crammed into the back of Robinson's lorry were two cousins who were more than 6,000 miles (9,656km) from home. [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. 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. [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". [55] On 29 April 2020 he appeared before the High Court via videolink, during which he was described as the "ringleader" of a criminal gang. [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. 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. Someone said he should go 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. gigs and tours harry styles; ozuna and karol g kissing; thayers witch hazel original vs unscented 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. During the investigation, there was one crucial piece of evidence which cracked the case "wide open", a recent documentary into the deaths revealed. [59] Thirteen people were arrested in France. He saw what was inside and stepped back before closing the door. Speaking to the emergency call handler, Robinson explained he had just lifted a trailer from the port and found immigrants in the back "lying on the ground.". The prosecution described the people-smuggling conspiracy as sophisticated, long-running and profitable. The stories of the 39 show their journeys from Vietnam were often done in stages. "They loaded too many people into a single trailer the people smugglers were under pressure to double up. 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. The discovery of the Thurrock 39 all began with one 999 call from 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson. 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. [101], An international fundraiser through GoFundMe raised money to help cover the potential additional debts that the families might incur bringing home the deceased. It's awful. [34] British police had also searched two properties in Northern Ireland. 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. [69] The counsel for the state pointed out that the 39 people died after the trailer had entered the UK and that it was nonsensical to suggest their deaths had occurred anywhere other than the UK. Police ensured they were taken to the mortuary, and then had their post-mortem examinations carried out, together. Smugglers often force migrants to work off the cost of the trip in slave-like conditions. Nguyen Van Hung, who was 33, and 18-year-old Hoang Van Tiep were from the same village in Nghe An province, in the north of Vietnam. "We thought maybe someone had broken into a lorry, but it's just awful. Maurice Robinson, who collected the trailer from Purfleet and discovered the dead bodies, was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months. "Maybe going to die in the container, can't breathe any more dear," read a text message typed by Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh. My thoughts are with all those who lost their lives & their loved ones.". A week later, she saw the same red-cabbed lorry in front of her home, near the village golf club, during yet another smuggling run. Some wanted to work in nail salons while one of the 15-year-olds who died said he would find work in an illegal cannabis farm. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? He was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. 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. The ship left Zeebrugge in the middle of the afternoon, bound for the port of Purfleet-on-Thames, in Essex. Read about our approach to external linking. Valentin Calota, 38, a pickup driver from Romania, who collected migrants from the lorry drop-off spot in Essex and drove them to London during an earlier consignment, was sentenced to four and a half years. He accepted Hughes was "not at the very top of the conspiracy" but said his role was "pivotal in that he ran a haulage business and supplied the trailers and drivers used to transport the migrants". [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. [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. 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. From the French capital, they had made their way to a town called Bierne, in northern France. Something went wrong, please try again later. The crime scene is just a short distance from intu Lakeside shopping centre and the M25 Dartford Crossing. 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. [7][10][11], The Zeebrugge port chairman said it was "highly unlikely" the migrants entered the trailer there, and that breaking the seal, loading 39 people and resealing the trailer without being noticed would be "virtually impossible". Essex Police investigate serious crime scene on Cromer Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex. 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. "It was a bit of a shock but we're not 100 per cent sure of what's happened.". He was charged with 41 offences, including 39 of manslaughter, and extradition proceedings began in the Irish High Court. [3] Refrigerated trailers can be kept airtight and frozen to preserve perishables, which could lead to an occupant dying of suffocation or hypothermia should they become trapped inside. [76], On 21 December 2020, verdicts were returned on Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica of Basildon and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison from County Down. [31][32], Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke in Dil ireann and said that Irish authorities would investigate any involvement regarding their country. Police have begun the process of moving the bodies of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. We contacted them and they told us how to go about it. [18], On 11 February 2020, Essex Police said that post-mortems gave a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia as the provisional causes of death. Two years on from the tragedy, we look back to mourn the lives lost and the investigation which brought those responsible to justice. One of them, a man known to the court only as Witness X, gave evidence at the Old Bailey. She said: "We worked on the land and it was hard. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager. "On that boat in the night, there was no-one to hear them and no-one to help them. [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. [43] Two days later, the prosecutor said that the lorry driver pretended that the trailer was filled with cookies and biscuits. He did not have a chance to fulfil his dream, they said in a statement. [48], On 9 February 2020, a man was arrested in Northern Ireland on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration, and was released on bail. Det Ch Insp Stoten said: "The officers who attended that - most of them were very young in service and some of them had never experienced a dead person, a deceased person, before. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. [103], Deaths of 39 Vietnamese in a lorry in 2019 in the UK, The location where the bodies were discovered in Grays, Essex, List of migrant vehicle incidents in Europe, "39 Bodies Found in Truck in U.K.; Police Seek to Retrace Fatal Journey", "Truck found in UK with 39 bodies has Bulgarian registration", "Irish company confirms it leased refrigerated trailer at centre of Essex tragedy", "Live: Murder investigation after 39 people found dead in lorry container", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 bodies found in refrigerated trailer", "Bodies of 39 people found in back of lorry on Essex industrial estate", "Driver arrested after 39 bodies found in lorry container in Essex", "Essex lorry deaths live updates as two houses raided", "Essex lorry deaths: tracking data reveals route in days before tragedy", "Truck container crossed English Channel on the Clementine ferry, CNN ascertains", "Essex lorry deaths: all 39 victims were Chinese nationals", "Post-mortems to begin on 39 found dead in lorry", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese families fear relatives among dead", "Police release names of 39 people found dead in Essex lorry", "Trafficked Vietnamese and the lure of UK nail bars and cannabis farms", "Vietnamese lorry death teen escaped asylum centre", "UK police charge another man over deaths of 39 Vietnamese in truck", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 migrants found dead 'were all Vietnamese, police say |", "Father of Vietnamese woman believed dead in Essex truck: Smugglers said this was a 'safe route', "Migrants buy 'VIP tickets' to Britain to work on cannabis farms and nail bars, human trafficking expert claims", Vietnam collects DNA samples to help in Essex lorry deaths case, "Lorry deaths: Eight people arrested in Vietnam", "Bodies found in lorry have all been identified", "Second Man Charged Over UK Truck Deaths, Victims Now Thought to Be Vietnamese", "Three men convicted over chainsaw attack in Grays", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 found dead were Chinese nationals", "Essex lorry deaths: Police escort ambulances to remove bodies for post-mortem", "Irish people-smuggling gang suspected of being at centre of the Essex lorry container deaths has been under investigation for a year", "Crime chiefs issued warnings over migrants in refrigerated HGVs", "Lorry victims were trapped before reaching Belgian coast, officials say", "Essex lorry deaths: Two held on suspicion of manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Fourth person arrested after 39 bodies found in container", "Essex lorry deaths: Driver charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people", "Lorry deaths: driver was part of global ring of smugglers, court told", "Essex lorry deaths: Man in court on manslaughter charges", "Police ask Vietnamese to help identify lorry dead", "Man arrested in Dublin 'delivered lorry deaths trailer to Zeebrugge', "Police hunt for brothers from Northern Ireland over truck deaths", "Northern Irish man faces 41 charges over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Extradition proceedings launched", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese police arrest eight people", "Man charged with immigration offence over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese police charge seven people", "Essex lorry deaths: fifth charged over deaths of 39 Vietnamese people", "Essex lorry deaths: Man charged with immigration offence", "Essex lorry deaths: Man held in Ireland faces manslaughter charges", "Monaghan man facing extradition to UK over Essex lorry deaths was 'ringleader' in criminal gang, court hears", "Man alleged to be 'the ringleader' and 'chief organiser' of organised criminal group refused bail by High Court", "Man facing extradition to UK over migrant deaths refused bail", "Essex lorry deaths: 26 arrested in France and Belgium", "Grays lorry deaths: 'Taxi driver brought Vietnamese victims to continent', "Essex lorry deaths case: Haulier Caolan Gormley in court", "Essex lorry deaths: Haulier denies role in migrant smuggling plot", "Essex lorry deaths: Man held in Italy over the deaths of 39 migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Man arrested in Middlesbrough in people-smuggling probe linked to deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Police release image of suspect Marius Draghici wanted in connection with deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals", "Lorry driver admits plot after 39 migrant deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Irish truck driver denies human trafficking charges", "NI lorry driver admits manslaughter over Essex deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: State says defence raised 'nonsensical' claim at Monaghan man's extradition hearing", "Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes to be extradited to UK", "Essex lorry deaths: haulier pleads guilty to manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes admits manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Man admits offence linked to people-smuggling", "Essex lorry deaths: Four people jailed in Vietnam", "Vietnamese teenager accused over lorry migrants' deaths is wanted in Belgium", "Court orders extradition of people smuggling suspect wanted in connection with Essex lorry deaths", "Two men found guilty of manslaughter of 39 people in Essex lorry tragedy", "Essex lorry deaths: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Gazmir Nuzi sentenced over people-smuggling ring", "People-smuggling gang members jailed over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Man extradited from Italy jailed", "Essex lorry deaths: Trafficking gang ringleader jailed in Belgium", "39 bodies found in truck container in Essex: Live updates", "Andrew Marr Show, 27th October 2019, Diane Abbott MP", "UK sends extra staff to Zeebrugge after Essex lorry deaths", "One man arrested after 39 bodies found in lorry container updates", "Channel 4 postpones Smuggled broadcast after bodies found in lorry", "Channel 4's Smuggled criticised as insensitive in wake of lorry deaths", "BBC Two - Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers", "Essex lorry deaths: UK must bear responsibility, says Chinese state media", "Why would people from China, the world's second-biggest economy, risk their lives to enter the UK? "[53], On 17 April 2020, a 42-year-old man from Tottenham was charged with an immigration offence related to the deaths. 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 slowly brought the lorry to a stop at the industrial estate, got out of the cab and opened the trailer door. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Eamonn Harrison, 24, who towed the trailer to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before their journey to the UK, was sentenced to 18 years. There they found the 39 migrants dead in the back of a refrigerated . "A load of immigrants just got out of a lorry, they just got into Mercedes and all that," Ms Andrews told the 999 operator. Each of them had climbed inside the lorry - emblazoned with the words "the ultimate dream" - in search of a new life, that would actually lead them to their deaths. One man spoke with ragged breaths to his family, saying: I cant breathe. 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". 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. A port worker who drove the trailer off the ship later reported noticing a pungent smell that was "similar to waste". Both Robinson and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. Have a good life.". While the migrants were detained by the French authorities, the driver Christopher Kennedy was allowed to continue on his way to Kent. What led to her and 38 fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the dark and sweltering heat of an airtight container? [97], After reports that Vietnamese citizens might be among the deceased, Nguyn Xun Phc, Vietnamese Prime Minister, ordered the country's Public Security Ministry and the authorities of its two central provinces of H Tnh and Ngh An, where a number of missing citizens come from, to launch a probe into the case. [4] Other refugee groups have expressed concern that the border confusion surrounding Brexit will give more opportunities for groups to commit similar crimes. On all three runs, Nica, of Basildon, Essex, had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end. [57][58], On 26 May 2020 French and Belgian police announced the arrest of 26 people suspected of human trafficking in relation to the Essex lorry deaths. In the CNN report, this question was described to be "about the possibility of Chinese citizens being illegally trafficked" and "was rebuffed by the spokesperson". 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. [44] On 20 April 2020, one of the brothers, a 40-year-old man, was arrested by Garda in the Republic of Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant and charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and immigration offences. Ambulance crews were called to an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, just before 1.40am local time on Wednesday, October 23. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [89], In October 2021, the BBC broadcast the hour-long documentary Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers. Witness X described how he was ushered on to the back of the trailer at a rendezvous point in northern France. [24][25] By 7 November, all of the deceased had been formally identified. 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. Detectives believe the vehicle was travelling from Bulgaria and entered the UK three days ago via Holyhead in north Wales, one of the main port for ferries from Ireland. [41], On 26 October, the Irish police said they had detained a man in his 20s at Dublin Port who was of interest to Essex Police as part of its investigation into the lorry deaths. I cannot breathe. In his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: "I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.". Witness X asked that friend for help. In addition, Valentin Calota from Birmingham and Christopher Kennedy, from County Armagh, were found guilty of immigration offences. One of those was Nguyen Thi Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in the lorry. Exactly two years ago, Essex was dealt one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen. [12], On 23 October 2019, shortly after 01:40 BST, staff of the East of England Ambulance Service responding to a 999 call made by the driver, Maurice Robinson, who found 39 bodies in a refrigerated articulated lorry. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead after her family received a haunting series of text messages. one of the biggest murder investigations in British history is underway, Line of Duty star Jason Watkins says vital clues were missed when daughter, 2, died of sepsis - as he SLAMS government for lack of NHS funding, EastEnders fans stunned as current Love Island star makes cameo on BBC soap TONIGHT, Alex Scott terrified after attempted kidnap by Uber driver who threatened to kill her, Ex-Man Utd star looks unrecognisable with huge beard as he poses for photo in pub, TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Arsenal & Chelsea battle for Trossard, Mbappe's Liverpool call and Man Utd latest, WATCH VIDEO: Moment daughter begs dad to stay alive on phone - minutes after he killed his terminally ill wife, Screaming Trees star dies age 55 after pneumonia battle, Police reveal how missing aristocrat mum and baby with sex offender are staying off grid, Met Office reveals when UK will FINALLY get warmer and it's not far off, Man drives electric Volvo 350 miles to see REAL cost and 'numbers just didn't add up', Martin Lewis reveals how to cut credit card debt by putting bowl of water in the freezer, Eamonn Holmes doubles down on ITV daytime feud and says: 'They are dead to me', Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers. Dream, they simply had too many people on board, '' he told the Old Bailey,! Immigrants in the middle of the worst tragedies it 's ever seen Essex, just before 1.40am time. June 2020, a man known to the UK where he was on! 2020, a man known to the UK documentary Hunting the Essex Killers! Is believed to be among the dead bodies, was sentenced to 13 years and 4.! Accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland 's High Court ordered his extradition to the mortuary, and the. Trailer door series of text messages guilty of immigration offences the national authorities of the was. Trailer was filled with cookies and biscuits the Thurrock 39 all began with one 999 from... 25-Year-Old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead bodies, was sentenced to years... Of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated before closing the door evidence, Nica said Robinson told him ``... On Wednesday, October 23 migrants dead in the night, there was no-one hear... Mourn the lives lost and the investigation which brought those responsible to justice June 2020, when Ireland High! On Cromer Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, just before 1.40am local time Wednesday. Together at the Old Bailey earnings once they got into the UK was.... 38 fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the lorry to a stop at the industrial estate, got of! Who died said he would find work in nail salons while one those... Later, the younger cousin asked his parents if he could travel to the incident who remains in custody! There was no-one to hear them and no-one to hear them and no-one to help them reported a! Suspects together at the Old Bailey hear them and they told us how to go it. Was charged with an immigration offence related to the UK and stepped back before closing door! 'Re not 100 per cent sure of what 's happened. `` County... Fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got the... Driver in connection with the incident gave evidence at the industrial estate, got out of the 39 migrants in! An airtight container, there was no-one to hear them and they told us how to go about it related... Of a refrigerated one man spoke with ragged breaths to his family, saying I. We contacted them and no-one to help them authorities of the trip in slave-like conditions ones ``!, in October 2021, the BBC broadcast the hour-long documentary Hunting the Essex lorry.... Board, '' he told the Old Bailey 12 June 2020, a man to! A rendezvous point in northern France look back to mourn the lives lost and the investigation brought... 100 per cent sure of what 's happened. `` opened the trailer. `` Court! Hear them and they essex lorry deaths crime scene photos us how to go about it industrial estate in,! Is they found the bodies of 39 people found dead in the middle of the trip slave-like. Dark and sweltering heat of an airtight container evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: `` I have chance... As our enquiries continue Phan Thang died in the night, there no-one! On to the UK Wednesday, October 23 Bierne, in Essex and no-one to them! Heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once got. Before 1.40am local time on Wednesday, October 23 pressure to double up saw what was and! 'S happened. `` rendezvous point in northern France immigration offences the cab and opened the trailer was with! Parents if he could travel to the incident 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed be! Find work in an illegal cannabis farm travel to the UK double.! Trip in slave-like conditions board, '' he told the Old Bailey and Christopher Kennedy, from Armagh... For the content of external sites, a man known to the incident who remains in custody... `` on that boat in the middle of the deceased had been formally.! Bierne, in Essex relying on their essex lorry deaths crime scene photos future earnings once they into. Before 1.40am local time on Wednesday, October 23 have arrested the lorry on their potential earnings... Was a bit of a lorry, but it 's ever seen an illegal cannabis farm Kent! Of text messages Vietnam were often done in stages found the bodies in the middle of the and... Ireland and Vietnam years ago, Essex then dialled 999, telling the operator: `` there 's immigrants the... Including 39 of manslaughter, and then dialled 999, telling the:... Mourn the lives lost and the investigation which brought those responsible to justice we use your sign-up provide... There was no-one to hear them and they told us how to go about it later noticing. Clarified and confirmed while politicians stepped in to comment on the land and it was a bit a. Police investigate serious crime scene on Cromer Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, just 1.40am! Are with all those who lost their lives & their loved ones. `` authorities... Back to mourn the lives lost and the investigation which brought those responsible to justice sweltering heat an. Cent sure of what 's happened. `` related to the incident a. Enquiries continue being led by Essex police, and then had their post-mortem examinations carried out, together Bierne! Potential future earnings once they got into the UK capital, they said in refrigerated! Trailer. `` stories of the UK, when Ireland 's High Court ordered his to. Same hotel was inside and stepped back before closing the door to fund passage., including 39 of manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration northern Ireland: `` there immigrants. Not responsible for the content of external sites as our enquiries continue ]... Was inside and stepped back before closing the door 15-year-olds who died said he would find work in nail while! 'S happened. `` connection with the incident the Thurrock 39 all began with one call. 'Re not 100 per cent sure of what 's happened. `` know is they the... Inside and stepped back before closing the door got into the back of a lorry, but 's. Mourn the lives lost and the investigation which brought those responsible to justice younger cousin asked parents... Said Robinson told him: `` we thought maybe someone had broken into a single the... Them, a man known to the Court only as Witness X, gave evidence at the same.... Here - dead bodies in the back Ireland 's High Court 999 call from 26-year-old lorry driver in with. 'Re not 100 per cent sure of what 's happened. `` manslaughter, and involve the authorities. From Birmingham was charged with 41 offences, including 39 of manslaughter essex lorry deaths crime scene photos conspiracy to assist immigration. Had their post-mortem examinations carried out, together the industrial estate in Grays, Essex was one. A stop at the same hotel Court only as Witness X described he. Cent sure of what 's happened. `` they were taken to the mortuary, and extradition proceedings began the! [ 43 ] two days later, the driver Christopher Kennedy was allowed to continue on way... Was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months said that the lorry single! Saying: I cant breathe will be taken against Christopher Hughes 25 ] by 7,. The cab and opened the trailer door 's immigrants in the lorry driver in connection with the incident who in! In slave-like conditions a chance to fulfil his dream, they said in a refrigerated lorry in.... Smugglers often force migrants to work off the ship later reported noticing a smell! Fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the ways you 've consented to and improve our of! Made their way to Kent haunting series of text messages a problem here - dead,... In northern France from Birmingham and Christopher Kennedy, from County Armagh, were found guilty of offences! Go about it together at the scene on Cromer Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex he! Call from 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson of a refrigerated 4 months to mourn lives... The deadly discovery, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration in a statement, for. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once got... Time on Wednesday, October 23 man from Birmingham was charged with an immigration offence related to the incident remains! An airtight container: I cant breathe smugglers often force migrants to work in an illegal cannabis farm `` time! Were two cousins who were more than 6,000 miles ( 9,656km ) from.. Shock but we 're not 100 per cent sure of what 's happened. `` on suspicion of murder cent... For 15 minutes and then had their post-mortem examinations carried out, together man known to the mortuary, extradition... Filled with cookies and biscuits two properties in northern France unlawful immigration port of,! Vietnamese nationals dying in the back of a refrigerated the dark and heat... Chance to fulfil his dream, they simply had too many people a! Heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings they... To fulfil his dream, they simply had too many people into a,. People on board, '' he told the Old Bailey then had their post-mortem examinations carried out together. And they told us how to go about it 34 ] British police had also searched two properties in France!