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image captionGheorghe Nica and Eamonn Harrison were both found guilty of manslaughter
Two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.
The migrants suffocated in the sealed container en route from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in October 2019.
Eamonn Harrison, 24, who dropped off the trailer at the Belgian port, and people-smuggler Gheorghe Nica, 43, were convicted by an Old Bailey jury.
Two others were convicted of being part of a wider people-smuggling conspiracy.
image captionThe 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK
By Press Association 2021
Priti Patel Tweet on ruthless criminals
The Home Secretary caused a legal storm with an “ill-advised” tweet about the deaths of 39 migrants while the people-smuggling trial was going on.
On October 23, the anniversary of the tragedy, Priti Patel’s Twitter account posted: “One year ago today, 39 people lost their lives in horrific circumstances at the hands of ruthless criminals.
“My thoughts remain with everyone who was affected by that day, particularly the loved ones of the people who so tragically died.”
The comments were made as the prosecution of four alleged people-smugglers linked to the deaths was continuing at the Old Bailey.
They could be facing life behind bars for the manslaughter of 39 migrants.
Another man, Christopher Kennedy from Keady, was found guilty of conspiracy.
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.
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.
They were also convicted of their part in the people-smuggling operation with lorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, and Valentin Calota, 38, from Birmingham.
By Press Association 2021
Priti Patel Tweet on ruthless criminals
The Home Secretary caused a legal storm with an “ill-advised” tweet about the deaths of 39 migrants while the people-smuggling trial was going on.
On October 23, the anniversary of the tragedy, Priti Patel’s Twitter account posted: “One year ago today, 39 people lost their lives in horrific circumstances at the hands of ruthless criminals.
“My thoughts remain with everyone who was affected by that day, particularly the loved ones of the people who so tragically died.”
The comments were made as the prosecution of four alleged people-smugglers linked to the deaths was continuing at the Old Bailey.
BBC News
By Laurence Cawley and Gaetan Portal
BBC News
image captionPham Thi Ngoc Oanh, 28, from Nghe An, wrote a text message that was never sent Maybe going to die in the container, can t breathe any more dear, read a text message typed by Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh. It was never sent. What led to her and 38 fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the dark and sweltering heat of an airtight container?
Driver Maurice Robinson pulled his articulated lorry over on a largely deserted Essex industrial park.
He got out of the cab, went to the rear of the trailer and opened the doors.