People smugglers face jail for killing 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in the back of a lorry
Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison have been found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter
A court sketch of Gheorghe Nica (left) and Eamonn Harrison (right) (Image: PA)
Get the inside track on the big stories from Manchester courts with our weekly newsletterInvalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.
MEMBERS of a million-pound people-smuggling ring could be facing life behind bars for the manslaughter of 39 migrants. The Vietnamese migrants, aged between 15 and 44, were found dead in the back of a trailer in Essex on October 23 last year. They had suffocated in sweltering temperatures as the airtight container was shipped from Zeebrugge to Purfleet. The “unscrupulous” gang behind the illegal shipment were motivated by greed as they pursued profits of more than £1 million that month alone.
Gheorghe Nica (left) and Eamonn Harrison (right) in the dock of the Old Bailey (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Following a 10-week trial, Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 43, from Basildon, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, from County Down, were found guilty on Monday of 39 counts of manslaughter.
By Press Association 2021
Victims found in the back of a trailer
An “unscrupulous” gang of people-smugglers are facing years behind bars for their part in the deaths of 39 migrants.
The Vietnamese victims, aged between 15 and 44, suffocated in the back of a trailer as they were shipped to Purfleet in Essex from Belgium on October 23 last year.
With false promises of a better life in Britain, they were betrayed by greedy criminals who pursued profits of more than £1 million that month alone.
On Monday, Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 43, from Basildon, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, from County Down, were found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter.
MONEY-GRABBING KILLERS
Chilling pic shows desperate scratches of 39 Vietnamese migrants who died in lorry as smuggling gang made £1m a month
Latest
Updated: 22 Dec 2020, 1:04
Mike Sullivan
Invalid Date,
A CHILLING image shows scratches made by the 39 lorry death migrants as they tried to batter their way out with a pole.
Greedy trafficking boss Ronan Hughes made £1million a month but killed the desperate Vietnamese passengers in his quest for bigger profits, a court heard yesterday.
12
The lorry was found with 39 bodies in after the victims were smuggled into the UKCredit: PA:Press Association
12
Ronan Hughes (l) and Gheorge Nica (r) at Hotel Ibis following a people smuggling run on October 19 last year