Man in extradition court over Essex lorry deaths

A 40-year-old man facing extradition to the UK on 39 charges of manslaughter and a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration has been remanded in custody at the High Court in Dublin.

Ronan Hughes, 40 and from Silverstream, Tyholland in Co Monaghan, was detained on Monday following the execution of a European Arrest Warrant in the Republic of Ireland.

Essex Police said in a statement that the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service had authorised manslaughter charges against him and immigration offences.

Hughes will apply for bail next Wednesday and has been remanded in custody until then.

His extradition hearing is due to be held in Dublin on 1 May.

Hughes said nothing during the short hearing in Dublin's Central Criminal Court on Tuesday morning apart from: “Thank you, judge.”

Judge Paul Burns said he considered the warrant to have been duly executed and was satisfied the person in court is the person it had been issued for.

He said Mr Hughes had been informed of his rights to surrender to the request to be extradited.

The 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in a lorry container parked on an industrial estate in the Grays area of Essex on 23 October 2019.

Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead.

On 8 April, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson, from Craigavon, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey in London.

He 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, 22-year-old Eamonn Harrison, from Mayobridge, was granted permission to appeal against his extradition under the terms of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Essex Police.

He is facing 39 manslaughter charges, one of human trafficking, and one of assisting unlawful immigration.

A further hearing in Harrison’s case will be held in Dublin on 7 May.