Ronan Hughes, 40, appears in court charged with manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead inside a lorry in Essex, the UK, last October. (Photo: Essex police)London (VNA) – An Irish man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants whowere found dead inside a lorry in Essex, the UK last October.
Ronan Hughes,40, who was extradited to the UK from Ireland, appeared before Southend Magistrates’ Court in the east ofLondon by video-link from a police station on June 24 (local time).
The defendant,from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, was detained by Irish police on April20 on foot of a European arrest warrant and charged with 39 counts ofmanslaughter, as well as immigration offences.
He is due at aLondon court on July 22 for a plea hearing.
Last October,the bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were discovered by emergency services onthe back of a regiferated lorry at an industrial estate in Essex.
Among the 39dead were ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys.
On April 8,25-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson from Craigavon in Northern Irelandpleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey.
He hadpreviously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration andacquiring criminal property at the same court on November 25 last year.
Four other menwill stand trial at the Old Bailey in connection with this case in October./.
VNA
