Lorry driver charged with killing 39 migrants ‘part of global people smuggling ring’

A lorry driver charged with the manslaughter of 39 people was part of a ‘global ring’ trafficking people into the UK, a court has heard.

Maurice ‘Mo’ Robinson, 25, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today via video link and spoke only to give his name, address and nationality.

He is also facing charges of conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

Prosecutor Ogheneruona Iguyovwe told the court that Robinson’s conspiracy charges related to a ‘global ring’ involving ‘the movement of a large number of illegal immigrants into the UK’.

The defendant, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, in Northern Ireland, was not asked to indicate a plea and will next appear at the Old Bailey on November 25 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

He was remanded into custody as District Judge Timothy King told him the allegations against him could only be dealt with in a crown court.

Robinson’s solicitor, Julian Hayes, made no application for bail.

Essex Police confirmed today that a second lorry driver, in his 20s, arrested at Dublin port on Saturday is also a ‘person of interest’ in their investigation.

A spokesperson said: ‘We are liaising with the Garda via telephone as this man is currently held outside the jurisdiction of the law of England and Wales.’

Officers also previously arrested a couple, both aged 38, from Warrington, Cheshire, who have since been released on bail until November 11.

The pair, originally from the Republic of Ireland, were held on suspicion of 39 counts of manslaughter and people trafficking.

A 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland was also taken into custody on Friday at Stansted Airport on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter.

He has now been released on bail until November 13.

In Belgium, police are hunting the driver who delivered the shipping container to Zeebrugge, the port it left before arriving in the UK.

The victims have now been moved from the truck to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, where post-mortem examinations will now be carried out.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore said the focus of the victims’ nationalities was on the Vietnamese community, although ‘there may be other nationalities involved’.

He said there were ‘very, very few’ identity documents recovered, adding that police will share fingerprints with Vietnamese authorities in a bid to speed up identification.

It was previously reported that many of the victims were carrying fake passports and documents which stated their nationality as Chinese.

Several Vietnamese families have already come forward to say they believed their relatives are among the dead.

It is not known when the victims entered the trailer, where temperatures can drop as low as minus 25C if the fridge is activated.

Officials are still trying to determine the exact route the lorry took, after it arrived at Zeebrugge at 2.49pm on Tuesday.

The trailer then travelled to Purfeet, arriving at around 12.30am on Wednesday, where it was picked up by the cab, known as the tractor.

Police were called to the Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in Grays at 1.40am.