Essex lorry deaths: Man in court in Ireland over 'manslaughter' of 39 migrants
Ronan Hughes, 40, was arrested in Co Monaghan on Monday after police executed a European arrest warrant.
Wednesday 1 September 2021 12:12, UK
A man has appeared in court in Ireland facing charges of 39 counts of manslaughter following the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in the back of a lorry in Essex.
Ronan Hughes, 40, was brought before the High Court in Dublin after police executed a European arrest warrant on Monday and detained him in Co Monaghan.
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 23 October last year.
Among those found were 10 teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys.
Garda Detective Sergeant James Kirwan told the court how he arrested Mr Hughes at Leitrim, Silverstream, Tyholland, Co Monaghan at 5.15pm on Monday.
The European arrest warrant outlined charges including 39 counts of manslaughter and one charge of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration.
DS Kirwan said Mr Hughes replied "no" when asked if he had anything to say.
Hughes, who was wearing a surgical mask which he removed in court, was remanded in custody until an extradition hearing on 1 May.
A bail hearing will be held next Wednesday, with Garda indicating they will object to bail being granted.
Hughes had been wanted by police on suspicion of human trafficking alongside his younger brother Christopher Hughes, 34, since the 2019 incident.
Earlier this month, Maurice Robinson, of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey in London.
The 25-year-old previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property at the same court on 25 November.
He is due to 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.
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 for Harrison will be held in Dublin on 7 May, Essex Police said.
Update: This article was first published on 21 April 2020. Since the article was published, Essex police has confirmed that Christopher Hughes is no longer a person of interest in relation to this case. In October 2019, Essex Police issued a public appeal for information regarding the whereabouts of Christopher Hughes, but have since said that no further action will be taken against him. A police spokesperson said Christopher Hughes was initially identified as a suspect based on information and evidence, but added "He was later the subject of a voluntary interview within the Republic of Ireland" and "no further action will be taken against him".