UK - 39 bodies found in lorry container, Essex, 23 Oct 2019 #2

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Man facing extradition over migrant deaths remanded

"The judge also said he wanted clarification of a number of technical issues in relation to the charges and he also wanted details of the alleged role of Mr Hughes in the alleged offence".

Let's not get too excited - EH has been able to string it out through the courts for 4 months, and counting.....
 
Bogyo13 said:
I hope he's not getting bail!
Click to expand...

The Garda say they will 'be objecting to bail'.according to the link below.
This slightly more detailed report of what went on in court suggests yet another legal assault course before (and if) extradition is granted:

"The judge indicated that he would require additional information from UK authorities “that seem to be of a technical nature”.

He said he would require further information in relation to the alleged role played by the accused in the alleged offences, and that a reference in the warrant to “modern slavery” appeared to be a “drafting error”.

Furthermore, it wasn’t clear whether any extraterritorial issue – in relation to the commission of offences outside of national territories – was being relied upon by the UK authorities, the judge said"

Monaghan man appears before High Court over deaths of 39 migrants in UK container tragedy

For goodness sake - what does it take to enable someone to be questioned over a crime? Would the Irish authorities not want this man charged if it had happened on their soil? RH hired the trailer used in this incident and allegedly in another incident where EH brought migrants in. RH (and / or CH) company bought the lorry used by MR to collect the trailer. RH was in the area buying PAYG phones, and making numerous calls to MR, who called RH as soon as he found the bodies...MR has alleged that he was hired by RH to do these people smuggling trips. At the very least the guy has questions to answer.

Oh, and he is applying for legal aid.
 
CaptainNancy said:
He said he would require further information in relation to the alleged role played by the accused in the alleged offences, and that a reference in the warrant to “modern slavery” appeared to be a “drafting error”.

Furthermore, it wasn’t clear whether any extraterritorial issue – in relation to the commission of offences outside of national territories – was being relied upon by the UK authorities, the judge said"
Click to expand...

Same situation with Eamonn Harrison then. Another screw-up with the warrant and issues over where the offences were committed. The cops pursuing this case don't seem particularly competent.
 
CaptainNancy said:
For goodness sake - what does it take to enable someone to be questioned over a crime? Would the Irish authorities not want this man charged if it had happened on their soil? RH hired the trailer used in this incident and allegedly in another incident where EH brought migrants in. RH (and / or CH) company bought the lorry used by MR to collect the trailer. RH was in the area buying PAYG phones, and making numerous calls to MR, who called RH as soon as he found the bodies...MR has alleged that he was hired by RH to do these people smuggling trips. At the very least the guy has questions to answer.

Oh, and he is applying for legal aid.
Click to expand...

SBM
I don't understand why his brother is still not arrested. Unless Garda is trying to catch a bigger fish to see where CH runs? MOO
JMO: Am really disappointed how the British media is handling this case, I can't find any UK articles about RH's arrest (am in UK). I understand the whole Covid and PPE issues and gov shenanigans here are more than enough to fill a paper daily but this is still a current, ongoing case. MOO
 
Ronan Hughes in court over death of 39 migrants | Ireland | The Times

The judgement states: “When paramedics arrived at the scene [in Essex], they found 39 bodies in the back of the trailer and all were dead. Mr Robinson was arrested on suspicion of murder. After Mr Robinson’s arrest, on the same day, a Mr Ronan Hughes made a number of phone calls to the respondent [Eamon Harrison]. It is stated in the additional information that Mr Hughes recruited Mr Robinson and the respondent [Mr Harrison] in his haulage business.”

Mr Justice Binchy said: “It is stated that on 9th May, 2018, the respondent [Mr Harrison] was stopped at Coquelles, France, driving a trailer unit in which 18 Vietnamese migrants were discovered. Ronan Hughes was named as the haulier. Mr Robinson has admitted, at interview, to smuggling migrants into the UK on several occasions and having been paid, by Ronan Hughes, £1,500 per person smuggled.”
 
After doing plenty of digging on the R. Hughes & C. Hughes Logistics/Transport fleet, it looks like the tractor unit Harrison transported the migrants to Zeebrugge with and was later seized at Dublin port is B 2213 BP, a Bulgarian registered Scania R500. It has the sidelights on the sills and a black windscreen sunvisor, the only other blue Scania in his fleet which has this has a different Griffin logo on the side. You can actually make out the 'B' on the registration plate in the first image on the rear left of the unit.

rhughesr500dublin.jpg

rhughesr500.png


It seems that C. Hughes & R. Hughes basically operated as one company to me. They both appeared to operate out of the same yard, there's the infamous clip of R & C trucks in convoy avoiding Vosa and I found one pic which shows an R. Hughes unit pulling a fridge trailer with 'CHT 01' on it and can just about make out 'C. Hughes Monaghan Rd Armagh'.
rhughes2.jpg

rhughes3.jpg
 
Down to assisting illegal immigration and man slaughter, then?
If it can’t at this stage be proven that the immigration was linked to modern slavery or that the drivers would have been aware of that fact then it may we’ll be horse trading to make sure the appeal hearing is short and in favour of the extradition.

This is all so weird. There are still unnamed parties: Stansted Man and Dalston Man. No details of court hearings about them.

If there was trafficking / exploitation / modern slavery I hope they do get the perpetrators of that. It is hard to see how manicures make enough to make a £30,000 smuggling cost pay off. Or how many young men end up in cannabis farms and young women in prostitution, with their passports held... Though from the published biographies of some of the dead they seemed like young people with big dreams of success and independence .
 
CaptainNancy said:
I have seen an article c&p from the Belfast Telegraph from yesterday, written by Ciaran Barnes, headline “truck horror killer to reveal all on smuggling mastermind Ronan Hughes”.

Can anyone find a link to verify?
Click to expand...
I can see the headline but when you got to Belfast Telegraph it says Page Not Found. Strange. Maybe legal team objected to some of the facts!
 
Thelastleg said:
I can see the headline but when you got to Belfast Telegraph it says Page Not Found. Strange. Maybe legal team objected to some of the facts!
Click to expand...
Very likely. A look at that reporters work suggests that they push the boundaries of restrained reporting.

Anyway, here are some updates:

Haulier described as 'ring leader' in UK smuggling ring

A radio link: Listen: Irishman Wanted In The UK On 39 Manslaughter Charges Accused Of Being Ringleader Of Illegal Immigration Group.

"The court was told that Mr Hughes faces a life sentence in prison if convicted and has the means and ability to flee at the appropriate time......
The court heard that Ronan Hughes was the "ringleader" and "chief organiser" of the group bringing illegal migrants to the UK and did so for financial gain.

He had been identified by Essex police as the organiser and there was extensive phone and travel documentation.

Det Sgt Kirwan also testified that on a previous occasion Mr Hughes was involved in smuggling 11 Vietnamese migrants into the UK and that he visited Maurice Robinson to pay him £25,000"

And more details about his vehicles and business.

Bail decision will be delivered tomorrow morning. Not sure why there would be any doubt about it, maybe it is normal to spin it out like this.

ETA what I read in the C&P article definitely would not be allowed in the press here, at this stage. There was nothing that would come as a surprise to anyone following the case though. And if that headline is still standing on the Belfast Telegraph site it tells the story, really.
 
BBC News Report:

"Mr Hughes confirmed he had a Northern Ireland driving license using his wife's home address in Armagh.

However, he admitted he never lived there.

The father-of-two estimated his haulage business had a turnover of between €500,000 (£433,000) and €600,000 (£520,000), but said his business wasn't very profitable"

Man sought over lorry deaths 'was organiser'

I wouldn't imagine any smuggling income ever changed hands except in cash. And then via other businesses. So his on-paper turnover and his actual turnover would be at odds. If the allegations are true.
 
"The High Court has heard that a Monaghan man is alleged to be “the ringleader” and “chief organiser” of an organised criminal group who trafficked 39 migrants found dead in a lorry container in Essex last year.

The court was told on Wednesday that haulier Ronan Hughes is alleged to have “organised, paid for the travel and controlled the drivers who collected the migrants......Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told counsel for the State Ronan Kennedy SC that gardaí were strongly objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charges."

From the Irish Times Monaghan man alleged to be ‘ringleader’ of group which trafficked 39 migrants

It says the hearing lasted 2 hours.

No mention of any legal representation for Hughes. I don't know if that is normal at a bail hearing in Ireland - but the state has a counsel.
 
"Det Sgt Kirwan said he believed Mr Hughes had a “serious case to answer” in the UK, namely, the alleged unlawful killing of 39 Vietnamese nationals who were “found dead in the back of a trailer”.

Given the nature of his work in the haulage business, he said gardai believed Mr Hughes had “great familiarity” with various ports in Europe, that he knew how to “enter and exit” them and had the “wherewithal to leave the jurisdiction at the appropriate time”."
Monaghan man alleged to be 'ringleader' in illegal immigration group, court hears
 
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