Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Residents of trucker village hoping he is an innocent man
RESIDENTS from the village where Mo Robinson lived are hoping the truck driver is an innocent party in the container deaths horror, a councillor has said.
The community of Laurelvale in Co Armagh was said to be in “complete shock” in the wake of his arrest on suspicion of the murder of the 39 Chinese nationals found dead in a refrigeration container at an industrial park in Essex.
Independent councillor Paul Berry said the family is very well respected in the area and people were struggling to take in the enormity of the events in south-east England.
He has been in contact with Mr Robinson’s father several times since his son’s arrest, adding: “He had said he had been getting messages via people on social media on what was happening and at that stage it was not confirmed to him or his family that his son had been arrested.
“The local community is hoping that he has been caught up innocently in this matter but that’s in the hands of Essex police and we will leave it in their professional hands to try to catch the perpetrators of this.”
Mr Robinson is understood to have moved to a house on the outskirts of nearby Markethill recently.
Yesterday a neighbour in Mullaghbrack Road said he had only been living there for a few months.
He described the property as one of the original gate lodges for nearby Gosford Castle, adding it had recently been renovated.
The neighbour said he had never spoken to Mr Robinson but had noticed the red lorry unit parked beside the house.
The Robinson family are wellknown in the area and are heavily involved with Laurelvale FC.
Mr Robinson’s passion for truck driving is clear from his social media posts. Pictures of a red and white Scania feature prominently.
The dog-loving trucker, who attended Southern Regional College in Co Armagh, is known to have worn a cowboy-style hat when at the wheel.