Four guilty over deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants

December 21,tỷ số u19 tây ban nha 2020 - 21:08

After a 10-week trial at the Old Bailey in London, Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 43, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, from Northern Ireland, were found guilty on Monday of 39 counts of manslaughter.

 

The vehicle containing the victims' bodies found at an industrial park in Grays, east of London in the UK, a year ago today. AFP/VNA Photo

Two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese immigrants who suffocated in the back of a container unit last year.

After a 10-week trial at the Old Bailey in London, Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 43, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, from Northern Ireland, were found guilty on Monday of 39 counts of manslaughter.

They could now face life imprisonment when they are sentenced for their crimes.

The bodies of the Vietnamese migrants, aged between 15 and 44, were discovered in the back of a trailer in Essex in the south of England in October last year.

The two men, along with haulier boss Ronan Hughes, 41, of Armagh, and 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson, of Craigavon, were also convicted for their part in the people-smuggling operation.

 

The Old Bailey in London where the four men accused in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants were all found guilty. AFP Photo.

Three of the victims’ families have spoken of their grief and their ongoing prayers for their loved ones. The sister of 22-year-old Dang Huu Tuyen paid tribute to her “angel” of a brother, saying he was a “gentle, loving and dedicated Catholic”.

The parents of 15-year-old Nguyen Huy Hung, one of the two youngest people onboard, recalled their son’s love of football and how “peaceful and smart” he was, as well as his drive to do well at school.

The young son of 42-year-old Phan Thi Thanh has written a poem for his mother called “Beloved Mommy!”. 

Chief Constable of Essex Police, Ben Julian Harrington, said after the verdicts: “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.

“Today, they have been proved wrong on every count.

 “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.”   

Watch a Viet Nam News special report on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.