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Maurice Robinson had been horrified at the deaths of 39 migrants in a trailer, his counsel said.

Lorry driver ‘blind to the risks’ of people smuggling, court told  |  Updated: 13:52, 08 January 2021 A lorry driver who discovered the bodies of 39 migrants in the back of his trailer had been “blind to the risks” of people smuggling, a court has heard. The Vietnamese victims, aged between 15 and 44, had suffocated in the sealed container as it was shipped from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in Essex in October 2019. Maurice Robinson, 26, was left in shock after he opened the doors and found they were all dead, the Old Bailey was told. His boss and ringleader in the operation Ro...

The Armagh man who was leader of the people-smuggling ring responsible for the deaths of 39 migrants closed his eyes in the dock as his victims’ final agonising gasps were heard for the first time in court. Haulier Ronan Hughes joined seven other defendants at the Old Bailey to be sentenced for their role in the “sophisticated, long-running” operation that ended in tragedy on October 23, 2019. The 39 Vietnamese men, women and children had suffocated in sweltering temperatures in a sealed container as they were shipped from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in Essex. Recordings of some of their fina...

By Press Association 2021 Maurice Robinson, 26, leaving Purfleet port, Essex (Essex Police/PA) A lorry driver who discovered the bodies of 39 migrants in the back of his trailer had been “blind to the risks” of people smuggling, a court has heard. The Vietnamese victims, aged between 15 and 44, had suffocated in the sealed container as it was shipped from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in Essex in October 2019. Maurice Robinson, 26, was left in shock after he opened the doors and found they were all dead, the Old Bailey was told. His boss and...

Their families revealed their grief and loss as those responsible for the tragedy prepared to be sentenced. Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay read a statement from UK-based Nguyen Huy Tung, father of 15-year-old Nguyen Huy Hung, who learned about his son’s death on social media. He said: “We were very shocked, trembled, we lost track and awareness of surroundings. My wife fainted when our son’s name was mentioned. Recordings of phone messages of some of the 39 victims were played to the court (Image: PA) “We did not believe it was the truth until we saw his body.” Tran Hai Loc and his wife...