Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes, 40, arrested in Ireland and charged with manslaughter
Written by News on 21/04/2020
A man wanted in connection with the deaths of 39 people in a lorry in Essex has been arrested and charged with manslaughter.
Ronan Hughes was detained on Monday following the execution of a European arrest warrant in Ireland and
will appear at Dublin’s High Court tomorrow, Essex police said.
The 40-year-old, from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, has been charged with 39 offences of manslaughter, as well as immigration offences.
Emergency services discovered the bodies of the Vietnamese nationals at an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, shortly after the lorry arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium in the early hours of October 23 last year.
Among those found were 10 teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys.
Following the arrest, Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith, head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “This investigation is one of the largest in Essex Police history and we are working tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to the 23 October 2019 for the sake of the victims and their loved ones.
“We have worked closely with the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service as well as police and prosecutors in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany and Vietnam.”
Hughes has been wanted by police on suspicion of human trafficking alongside his younger brother Christopher Hughes, 34, since the 2019 incident.
Last week, Maurice Robinson, from Craigavon in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey.
The 25-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property at the same court on 25 November.
Robinson will be sentenced at a later date.
In February, Eamonn Harrison, of Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, was granted permission to appeal against his extradition to the UK under the terms of a European arrest warrant issued by Essex Police.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The 22-year-old is alleged to have driven the container to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, and signed the shipping notice for it.
He is facing 39 manslaughter charges, one of human trafficking and one of assisting unlawful immigration.
A further hearing will be held in Dublin on 7 May, Essex Police said.
(c) Sky News 2020: Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes, 40, arrested in Ireland and charged with manslaughter
