Sentencing begins over Essex lorry deaths
Eight are being sentenced at the Old Bailey
Last updated 7th Jan 2021
The sentencing of eight people convicted for their involvement in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people in Essex begin today.
The bodies of men, women and children were discovered in a lorry container in Grays in October 2019.
Sentencing will take place at the Old Bailey today and tomorrow.
Four were convicted on 21st December.
- Eamonn Harrison, a 24-year-old lorry driver from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, was found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter and guilty of one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
- Gheorghe Nica, 43, of Mimosa Close in Langdon Hills, was found guilty of the same charges.
- Christopher Kennedy, 24, of Corkley Road in Darkley, County Armagh, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law.
- Valentin Calota, 38, of Cossingham Road in Birmingham, was found guilty of the same charge.
They will be sentenced today and tomorrow, alongside those who had already entered guilty pleas to the offences against them:
- Ronan Hughes, 40 of Tyholland in County Monaghan pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of those onboard and facilitating the illegal entry of people into the UK.
- A Tottenham man, 42-year-old Gazmir Nuzi of Barclay Road, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
- 25-year-old Maurice Robinson pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the same court. The Craigavon man has previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property.
- 28-year-old Alexandru Hanga, of Hobart Road in Tilbury, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
What happened in October 2019?
The tragic discovery of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children unresponsive in the trailer of a lorry by its driver, Maurice Robinson, in Eastern Avenue, Grays, was made in the early hours of Wednesday 23 October 2019.
Following his arrest, the largest investigation in Essex Police’s history ensued, unravelling a network of organised criminals, which had operated in the UK and overseas.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Hughes and Nica had overseen two earlier journeys that month, on 11 and 18 October 2019, in which people had been brought into the country.
They were assisted by two other lorry drivers, Harrison and Kennedy and a number of other drivers who picked up passengers from a pre-arranged drop-off site in Thurrock and transported them to locations across London.
Nica had previously admitted his role in the breach of immigration law on those two dates but had denied his involvement on the 23 October.
Chief Constable of Essex Police, Ben-Julian Harrington, said of the result:
“The men who were found guilty today made their money from misery.
“They knew what they were doing was wrong, but they didn’t care.
“They tried to hide what they were doing. They attempted to evade detection.
"They thought they could cover up their crimes.
“Whilst I feel immense pride for the Essex Police teams, and our partners, for this diligent investigation, none of us will stop thinking of the victims and their families. Those family members are, in most cases, halfway across the world, and their lives will never be the same again.
“We will never forget those 39 victims – men, women, and children – who were sold the lie of safe passage to our country. The force made their loved ones a promise in the Book of Condolence shortly after the incident: that we would do everything in our power to bring those responsible for that horrific journey, which ended on our shores, to justice. Essex Police has worked hard to deliver on our promise, and I hope that is of some small comfort.”
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, said:
“This story started almost eight thousand miles away.
“Every man, woman and child, some as young as 15, who died in the lorry trailer was from Vietnam.
“They may have started their journeys at different times but, ultimately, they were all following the false promise of a new life. They put their trust in people they hoped would deliver them safely to our shores. As we all now know, sadly, that’s not how their journey ended.
“Family members and friends, many of whom are still thousands of miles away from where I stand today, have suffered an unimaginable loss. I know this because my team at Essex Police have heard their stories, and carefully recorded their testimony first-hand."
“Our thoughts are with you, today and always.”