essex lorry deaths crime scene photos
In the BBC documentary Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers, it shared some of the devastating testimonies from the victims' families. "We thought maybe someone had broken into a lorry, but it's just awful. The migrants died "excruciatingly painful" deaths, having suffocated in the container en route from Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019, a judge said. [46][47] In February 2020, the man was given leave to appeal the extradition judgment. 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. [79], On 22 January 2021 the culprits were jailed for the incident. Sign up here. 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. Belgian officials said the eight women . [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. 48 year old Romanian national Marius Mihai Draghici is believed to be part of the conspiracy to smuggle the migrants into the UK. Police have begun the process of moving the bodies of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex. [92][93] The question was then further criticised by Chinese media after the victims were found not to be Chinese. Despite initially protesting his innocence in police interviews, officers quickly discovered Robinson was actually part of an enormous lucrative people-smuggling ring - led by kingpin Ronan Hughes. Thwarted in France, he said, the smugglers were possibly attempting to "do two loads in one". It was here that a number of people were seen being delivered by taxi to an agricultural shed, before later clambering into a lorry. Det Ch Insp Stoten said: "This crime group have been stopped on many, many, occasions in Europe and the UK - and they continued. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened. ", Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK. 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. 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. [66] He was remanded in custody until 13 December when he appeared in court, via a video link from Belmarsh Prison in London where he was being held until his trial. Mr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half. [4][14] The lorry driver was a 25-year-old man from Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. 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. The prosecution described the people-smuggling conspiracy as sophisticated, long-running and profitable. Eleven of the victims - believed to be Chinese nationals - were taken by ambulance from . 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.. Someone said he should go to the UK. [11] The police suspect that an Irish people-smuggling ring which has been under investigation for around a year might be involved. [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. They're all lying on the ground. 2023 BBC. 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. Police later moved the bodies to a mortuary at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for post-mortems to be carried out. [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. 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. Sweeney said there was a need for deterrent sentences because the control of immigration, which affects the social fabric of our country, our economy and our security is an area of considerable public concern. In a tweet published shortly before 10.30am Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Im appalled by this tragic incident in Essex. [8] Belgian officials said the people were trapped in the trailer for at least 10 hours. 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. Essex crime: Rayleigh mum and son jailed for collective ten years for wanting to sell 750,000 of cocaine Crime Bookmark Person tries to chase driver fleeing scene of Romford lamppost crash - but falls over and is taken to hospital Romford Bookmark Boy, aged 15, charged after teen found with stabbed leg and knife recovered near Barking tube station [35], On 25 October, police arrested a man and a woman from Warrington, Cheshire, on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people,[36] and another man at Stansted Airport regarding the same offences. [62], In June 2021 Italian authorities and the National Crime Agency arrested a 27-year-old Romanian man near Milan in connection with the deaths, charging him with conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence. I want to come back to my family. [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. On 23 November, it was reported that one of the teenagers later found dead had gone missing from an asylum centre in the Netherlands. Additionally, money was donated by Vingroup, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe. Police believe that the cab was driven from Northern Ireland on 19 October. Ronan Hughes, 41, and Gheorghe Nica, 43, played "leading roles" in the smuggling conspiracy and were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively. These are the first photographs of the lorry where 39 bodies were discovered today. Something went wrong, please try again later. I am sorry. [63], On 17 June 2021 a Vietnamese man who is being sought by Belgian authorities for extradition in connection with the deaths was arrested at a supermarket petrol station in Middlesbrough. A number of the migrants discovered in France were later found dead inside the container in Essex. In an incident in Dover in June 2000, 58 Chinese nationals died in similar 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. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK. A teenager's body was among the 39 discovered in the HGV at around 1.40am. [37] On 27 October, it was announced that these three had been released on bail. 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. [81], In January 2022, 19 people were convicted in Belgium of being part of a people smuggling ring connected to the deaths, including the ringleader Vo Van Hong who was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Both men had made it as far as France - Tiep, via Russia, in 2017, and his older cousin a year later. 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. The father of Nguyen Huy Tung, one of two 15-year-olds in the container, later learned of his son's death via social media. Matthew Long, deputy director of National Crime Agency, said the whole idea of some kind of special service was a con. More than 1,300 Essex police officers were involved in the case. One of those was Nguyen Thi Hong, whose husband Bui Phan Thang died in the lorry. [75] On 8 April 2021, his extradition was approved. [33], On 24 October, the Evening Standard speculated that the trailer had travelled from the Netherlands before its departure from Belgium. "Many people around here go overseas to find work. Nguyen Van Hung's mother, Pham Thi Lan, agreed. This article does contains many crime scene photos, as well as the group's strangely joyful exit interview video which was shot just before their deaths, Applewhite's final video, a house tour while the bodies were still inside, and an interview with a surviving member who does show a video of the cult going about their daily routines. ", "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on October 25, 2019", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, "CNN slammed for rushing to attack China in report of UK lorry death", "China says identity of victims still being confirmed", "PM orders investigation into overseas trafficking of Vietnamese citizens", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnam condemns 'human trafficking', "Vietnam offers loans to families to return bodies", "Vietnam offers grieving families loans to return bodies", "Fundraisers help send Vietnam's lorry dead home", "Essex lorry deaths: All victims' bodies back in Vietnam", Young Vietnamese workers risking life and death on 'the line' to Europe, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Essex_lorry_deaths&oldid=1120801721, October 2019 events in the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 November 2022, at 22:09. One man spoke with ragged breaths to his family, saying: I cant breathe. Five people were found not guilty. He found none. They had each paid about 13,000 to be smuggled into the UK and had desperately tried to raise the alarm as they suffocated inside the pitch-black refrigerated unit, which had been switched off. Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, 28, from Nghe An, wrote a text message that was never sent, The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK, Hoang Van Tiep's parents Hoang Thi Ai (left) and Hoang Van Lanh said their son had paid for a "VIP service", They are callous and they are dangerous and they are out to exploit these people. [59] Authorities said a series of simultaneous early morning raids had taken place in both countries on 25 May 2020. Essex lorry deaths: UK Vietnamese group hands photos of missing to police. He got out of the cab, went to the rear of the trailer and opened the doors. "It's hard to say whether that would change the outcome but we have changed nationally the way that we deal with organised immigration crimes.". [42] A Belgian public prosecutor said that this was the lorry driver they had been searching for, who had been seen on CCTV ten times at Zeebrugge while dropping off the refrigerated trailer. [38] After extended questioning, on 26 October Essex Police charged the driver they had arrested with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering. Witness X asked that friend for help. 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. He was returned to the UK where he was charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. He was one of the organisers of the smuggling operation but denied involvement in the lethal trip. He knew, in his own words, what had happened was "very, very bad" and that there would be a "big investigation". "We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on Saturday 19 October and we are working closely with our partners to investigate. Something went wrong, please try again later. ", Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Nica claimed he told Robinson not to move the trailer and to call 999. 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. 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. It is understood Phong is currently subject of further police inquiries but his full identity has not been revealed. Read about our approach to external linking. Two ringleaders receive sentences of 27 and 20 years after 39 Vietnamese people suffocated in container. [18], On 11 February 2020, Essex Police said that post-mortems gave a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia as the provisional causes of death. Read about our approach to external linking. [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. Lorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, of County Armagh, and van driver Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, were also convicted of being part of the people-smuggling plot. The crime scene is just a short distance from intu Lakeside shopping centre and the M25 Dartford Crossing. CCTV footage then placed the primary suspects together at the same hotel. [68], A second man, from County Armagh, also appeared at the Central Criminal Court on 13 December and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking offences between 1 May 2018 and 24 October 2019, by arranging or facilitating the travel of other people with a view to exploitation. On 11 October, about 15 migrants made the journey across the channel, though in a different trailer to the one in which the 39 died. All of the paramedics who attended that night were offered "enhanced support" from the service's well-being team in the aftermath, she said. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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 victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the confined space of the truck, which arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium. He had seen a friend's Facebook post showing that they had made it to London. They were both 35. At 00:30 GMT on 23 October, 2019, the MV Clementine docked at Purfleet-on-Thames. [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. The red and white lorry is pictured at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, surrounded by forensic teams. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead after her family received a haunting series of text messages. 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. Exactly two years ago, Essex was dealt one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen. 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. Emailwebnews@trinitymirror.com. a recent documentary into the deaths revealed. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager. [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. 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. "He told me that he would only go on a 'VIP package', in a private car," she said. 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