Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Trucker admits killing 39 migrants
Ulster trucker admits to manslaughter charges
A TRUCKER from Northern Ireland has admitted the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry container in England.
The men, women and children, including 10 teenagers, died of lack of oxygen and overheating last October in Essex.
Ronan Hughes, 40, from Co Armagh, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to assist unlawful immigration at the Old Bailey yesterday.
Hughes is accused of playing a leading role in the trafficking operation, with his trailers and drivers used to transport migrants.
The bodies were discovered on an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, shortly after the lorry arrived in Purfleet on a ferry in the early hours.
Eight females and 31 males were found dead in a refrigerated trailer on October 23. The youngest were two boys aged
15.
Co-defendant Eamonn
Harrison, 23, of Mayobridge, Co
Down, denied 39 charges of manslaughter.
He also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and faces a trial in
October.
Harrison is alleged to have driven the lorry trailer to the
Belgian port of Zeebrugge before it sailed to England.
Harrison and Hughes appeared at the Old Bailey after being extradited from the
Republic of Ireland in July.
During the hearing yesterday, Gazmir Nuzi, 42, of
Tottenham, North London, pleaded guilty to a single charge of assisting unlawful immigration on or before October 11 2019 and April 18 2020.
Harrison now faces a trial with three other defendants.
Remanding the defendants into custody, Mr Justice Sweeney said the trial would go on for five weeks.
Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter in April.
He also admitted conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration of non-european Union citizens and acquiring criminal property, but denied a further charge of transferring criminal property.