UK - 39 bodies found in lorry container, Essex, 23 Oct 2019 *Guilty* #3

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CaptainNancy said:
And this, from the prosecution's coverage of Harrison:
"Today, the court was told that Harrison ... had been stopped by police in Germany twice over traffic incidents in January and March 2018.

In May last year, he was driving a lorry in Drantum, when he lost control and the vehicle toppled over.

He was convicted of drink-driving and ordered to pay 855 euro (£772), which remains outstanding, the court heard.

Before that, on May 9 2018, Harrison was stopped by UK Border Force officers at the entrance of the Channel Tunnel in France.

The seal on his trailer was found to have been broken and glued back together. When the trailer was searched, 18 Vietnamese migrants were found sitting on boxes of waffles inside.

Jurors were told that a 'civil penalty notice' was issued"

So this is a driver with numerous driving offences, including tipping over a lorry while drunk driving, and who was also reported illegally parked the night before he dropped off the victims in question at Zeebrugge, and on the same night attracted police attention for being drunk and violent. How does a driver with a drink-driving offence, who caused a significant crash, remain on the road? And who would subsequently employ him? Well, we know who. But I am shocked that these drivers can keep their licences.

And as well as Kennedy having been found with migrants in the back the week before, Harrison was found with a tampered seal and migrants in 2018. None of these findings seem to have been joined up, in the Border Force operation.
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Silverlink said:
Here is today's reporting from @JEMilneSky
  • Back at the Old Bailey again today for the continuation of the trial in relation to the deaths of 39 migrants - however I will not be live tweeting as the feed is breaking up too much. I will summarise as we go along.
  • This morning the jury have heard evidence surrounding the movements of each of the 39 individuals before they reached the trailer.
  • A number of the individuals spoke to their families about their plans to travel to the UK as they believed they could find better work and pay than in Vietnam. Some travelled to find work in nail salons, others in restaurants and others for manual work.
  • A number of them told their families that they would be travelling via the "VIP Channel", one explaining to their family this meant crossing into the UK in a "four seated car".
  • At least two, the jury have heard, had made previous attempts to enter the UK but had been unsuccessful.
  • With regards to the route, overwhelmingly the majority of the 39 flew from Vietnam to Russia - some travelling on a tourist Visa - and then from Russia onto Germany, then Belgium and onto France before attempting to cross to the UK.
  • However all 39 did not take the same route, Tran Thi Ngoc, who was 19 when she died made friends with an individual on Facebook who gave her instructions on how to get to the UK. She travelled from Vietnam to Malaysia then from there to Greece, to Portugal then Belgium to France
  • The prosecution now continue onto other agreed facts of their case.
  • The jury have heard when Maurice Robinson was arrested he was searched and a mobile was found. On the 23rd Oct 2019 specialist officers carried out a search of where the lorry had been parked, here police found parts of a mobile phone and sim card...
  • ...down a drain next to where the lorry had been parked. By an electrical substation and on a grass verge. They were photographed in situ and seized. The telephone number was activated on 30 Sep 2019 and is an unregistered pre-pay mobile...
  • The prosecution moves to present the tracker data and cell site information for each of the defendants and also individuals not involved in this proceeding.
  • The prosecution continues to run through other agreed facts, specifically the pleas entered and the arrest, interview and charge of each defendant.
  • The jury are now hearing evidence from the Technical Director of the Road Haulage Association as to how a haulage company should correctly operate, including what the driver should and shouldn't be doing/checking.
  • The prosecution are now running through the transcript of the interview between Christopher Kennedy and DC Gregg Avery.
  • After lunch prosecutions and DC Gregg Avery continue reading through Christopher Kennedy's interview taken on the 22nd November 2019
  • The prosecution continue into the next interview which was taken on the 23rd November 2019 between Christopher Kennedy and DC Gregg Avery of Essex Police.
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I cannot express enough appreciation for folks that are transcribing and summarizing. A HUGE shout out and thanks.
 
Trial resumed!

Essex lorry deaths: Gheorghe Nica admits people-smuggling role

Nica admits his role in transport but not in the deaths. For what it's worth, I have had my doubts that Nica was a major organiser / ringleader in anything other than transport from the farm onwards. Which is bad enough, of course, and IMO makes him complicit in the operation as a whole.
 
I will have to look back, but I am pretty sure that there was much phone traffic between RH, GN and MR on the night of the fateful journey? I thought that MR called RH and GN after he discovered the bodies? I had assumed to warn him to disappear and not wait for him.

But yes, RH is emerging as the significant ringleader of this part of the operation - the lorry drivers and the onward transport.
 
A few more details:

"Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mr Nica carrying a holdall full of cash to Mr Hughes's room at the Ibis hotel in Thurrock early on 19 October.

Mr Nica said an acquaintance had asked him to take the bag containing about £50,000 for him while he sat in the hotel bar with Mr Robinson.

Mr Nica said he told Mr Hughes it was the "last time" he would help him.

He went on say that he thought Mr Robinson must have had an "expensive load" of alcohol or cigarettes when he asked if he could park in the Orsett yard at 01:00 on 23 October.

Mr Nica said: "To my mind he needs 1am to go with that trailer to my yard to try to shift some loads, to do something with the load, that why he needs night time. In my mind it's going to be expensive load."
Essex lorry deaths accused 'roped into people smuggling'

Quite why he thought that when he admits that the last two 'loads' that he helped with at Orsett were human beings.
 
Essex lorry deaths: Driver Maurice Robinson reported ‘problem’ of ‘dead bodies’, court told
"I’m not responsible for the people who died. I never ordered them, I never brought them.” Nica's defence against manslaughter.

Essex lorry deaths: Driver made call about bodies in trailer

I wonder what collection of vehicles was waiting at Orsett? Because if he was expecting 'an expensive delivery' of cigarettes or vodka as he claims, he surely would have had vans, not minibuses or cars. Alcohol and cigarettes are transported on pallets, hardly conducive for popping into the back of your Mercedes saloon. RH and the missing Draghici would have needed to tell him he needed vehicles for 39 passengers. More than there has been previously. So I don't believe for a moment that he didn't know it was people smuggling on that trip.
 
Nica's former wife gives evidence.

Essex lorry deaths accused ‘was having an affair’, ex-wife tells jury

Obviously they all (he, his wife, and children) applied for passports from the same address, because he was waiting for them. For his soon-to-be-ex-wife, too.

I just don't find it believable that he did 2 people smuggling runs for RH, was in and around the hotel, toting bags stuffed with cash for RH, and did not expect the third transport run also to be human beings.

Also, if he was divorcing and his wife had gone back to Romania, why would he need a burner phone to see girlfriends?
 
CaptainNancy said:
Also, if he was divorcing and his wife had gone back to Romania, why would he need a burner phone to see girlfriends?
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He wouldn't. Nica's whole story is clearly absolute nonsense and the prosecutor has shown he isn't falling for it either. His role in the operation was quite clearly handling the arrival of the migrants in England, which was why he was one of the first people Mo called upon discovering the bodies.
 
Jordan Milne was back at the Old Bailey today and provided plenty of detail as usual.

https://twitter.com/JEMilneSky/status/1329010065987297280

  • Now begins the evidence of Eamonn Harrison. He is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, one for each of the victims who died in that container. Harrison was driving the lorry on the continent, and was driving it when the victims boarded the lorry and when they were shut inside.
  • He then drove them to Zeebrugge, where the trailer was loaded on board the ship sailing to England. Harrison is also charged with count 40 – a conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration.
  • Harrison confirms his name and details about where he grew up and his family. When asked how he feels about the fact that he drove the lorry Harrison answers "ashamed", "devastated".
  • When asked if he knew the 39 were in there, he said no. He goes on to explain when at school he had ADHD which made it difficult for him to make friends. This also made it difficult to work in teams for jobs.
  • When he left school he worked as a barista, then in a sandwich shop and then when he turned 18 he decided to become a lorry driver. He likes that "you're left to your own devices...you just have to drive to a point".
  • Harrison's first job was at a livestock company based in Northern Ireland, was driving to a place just above Barcelona, lasted 2 or 3 weeks. He didn't have the certificate for driving livestock.
  • He then goes on to detail his next job - driving across England, Ireland, Holland hauling insulation. He then got offered a job "doing fridge work" with a company called Thompsons, working with his father. Mostly to Smithfield Market.
  • Moving onto another company he drove all over Scandinavia, mostly Sweden and Denmark. He met Ronan Hughes when he was "doing the Swedish work on the road", says Harrison.
  • Harrison confirms when he was doing the Swedish work Ronan was also doing the Swedish work. He says when he first met Ronan he was a gentleman and they got on very well.
  • Ronan Hughes offered Harrison a job for 750 euros a week doing the same Swedish routes.
  • Harrison explains that seals on trailers were supplier choice to put them on "they're not for security or anything, it's up to the supplier to put them on". Harrison confirms without a seal there is no locking mechanism on the back doors. He says "that would cause a problem".
  • He confirms "you would need bolt cutters" to break through a metal seal, compared to a plastic seal which is easily broken.
  • "When you arrive to the factory you have the reference number, you say you're here top pick up the load, they load the trailer, you pull off, close the doors and depending on the factory they put on the seal", explains Harrison. Then detailing the paperwork you receive.
  • Once at the port Harrison explains "you have to go through the checks, the standard... come up to the booth, directed to a shed...they would ask for your CMR and your passport". You are then directed to a shed to be searched, Harrison confirms.
  • That's Calais. Harrison says Zeebrugge, "I've never gone in. But when you come to Zeebrugge to go for a scan and then to the booth and you hand your paper through the window." He confirms you then drive on and drop the container off somewhere.
  • 9th May 2018 Border Force officers stopped a Bulgarian heavy goods vehicle. Harrison explains they are registered as Bulgarian for insurance purposes, because he is under 25 it would be 10 times the price to insure it in Britain. Harrison confirms this is a decision made by the haulier
  • On the 9th May 2018 Harrison confirms he was working for Hughes. He was stopped and an examination showed a seal on the back of the trailer had been broken and glued back together. when searched there were 18 Vietnamese migrants in the trailer.
  • They were sitting on boxes of waffles. Harrison says he had no idea there were people in his trailer. "When I was stopped, like usual I was driving over the shed, they put heartbeat monitors on the trailer and they told me there were signs of life in the trailer."
  • Harrison called his boss Ronan when Border Force discovered the migrants. Harrison says he was shocked on finding them in there. Harrison confirms he hears about this happening on the time. He was then allowed to drive on.
  • Harrison says Mr Hughes "seemed shocked as well." After that he was stopped every time he went through the ports.
  • Turning to telephones, Harrison says he had one mobile phone registered to his name and address. He says he loved continental driving, he couldn't get enough of it. He describes the inside of a cab "like a house, like a flat".
  • He says he would usually do in excess of 24 hours work, without regular breaks. Harrison "believes" time is money in the haulage business. He says once you have an empty lorry it depends on what directions he is given as to what he does next.
  • He confirms the aim is to not come back empty from Europe. Harrison confirms Ronan Hughes owned the tractor unit that Harrison drove. In Feb 2019 Harrison says he was in the process of paying off a loan to Ronan but that he was going to buy a lorry himself from Ronan.
  • Harrison says new tractor units can cost a lot but the one he was aiming to buy was 4,500 euros. It would mean he was have the freedom to do what he wanted "to be your own boss".
  • Harrison confirms it was a set weekly payment of 750 euros from Ronan. To pay for the unit he would take a reduction in his wages to pay it off. Harrison says he was paid in cash by Hughes. Harrison says he was based largely at home with his mum and dad.
  • But on the road he was living in the cab. He says if he got back to Ireland he would see Hughes and pay him but otherwise he would put his wages in an envelope and send it to the trailer, says Harrison when asked how Hughes paid him.
  • He says his wages were going to be reduced down to 350 euros to pay off the tractor. He says it would have taken him 4 months or so to pay that off. He confirms he decided he wanted to buy the lorry unit in Feb 2019.
  • Harrison says he rolled the tractor unit in Germany. On 1st May 2019 Harrison had a crash, he confirms. He says he had a load of Danish bacon in the trailer at the time. The trailer was worth around 16,000 euro but he's unsure how much the load was worth "fairly expensive".
  • By May 2019 Harrison says "I wasn't in a good place, I was drinking all the time. I was actually drunk when I had the accident." He confirms he was drink driving.
  • Harrison confirms the load was ruined and the trailer and the tractor were a write off. He confirms he was working for Hughes at that time. Harrison confirms he had been drinking that night and he was driving that night. Harrison says he had cracked ribs, he was "shook up".
  • Harrison says Hughes was at first concerned for his wellbeing after that he hadn't spoken to him for a while. Then he was with the police. Once he knew he was alright "you're a idiot" is what Hughes said to Harrison. "He wasn't happy".
  • Harrison says he got a lift off another lorry driver to the UK and then another lift and another lift back to Ireland. Harrison says Hughes did not try and help him to get back to the UK but that Hughes did send someone to pick up the load.
  • Harrison confirms he was left to his own devices. Harrison says he felt stupid "You think I would have been a bit more responsible wouldn't you?"
  • Harrison says Hughes tried to contact him but he ignored him "I didn't want to face him. I was an idiot, I was drunk, I caused a lot of damage."
  • Harrison confirms he owed Hughes money because "I caused a lot of damage". Harrison stays in Spain with his parents for around a month but Hughes is still trying to get hold of him. Harrison at this point is still ignoring him.
  • Harrison eventually comes back to Ireland and takes a job with KLC. Harrison says Hughes "rang me one day on a withheld number". He says Hughes wanted his money and that he had lost work over this.
  • Harrison assured Hughes he would pay him back. Back Hughes asked him to come and see him. When Harrison went to see Hughes, "he was telling me that I could carry on doing what I was doing for him".
  • Harrison confirms he was offered the same work with a reduction in wages to pay off the lorry. He asked if Harrison was willing to load stolen goods, says Harrison.
  • Harrison says "I wasn't happy about it" when asked what his reaction was to Hughes proposal for him to load stolen goods. "I owed him in excess of 50,000 euros but he agreed to drop it down to the cost of the trailer - 16,000 euros"
  • Walk away from the truck, come back 10-15 minutes later - that's what Harrison would do when the "parts" were being loaded onto the trailer. He walked away because he says he didn't want to be involved in any of this.
  • Harrison says he didn't really know until the 7th how the parts were going to be put on the lorry if he walked away. Harrison has just mentioned someone called "Alex".
  • He explains he is a man "who was there". He met him in West Thurrock services on the 7th October. He was told that he was a mechanic and that he was going out to fix the lorry but that he would also be the man to load the parts. Harrison believes he was Romanian.
  • After Harrison had met him Harrison says he headed to Holland. He says he got there probably on the 8th. Alex then stays with Harrison in the cab, Harrison says.
  • From Dover Harrison says they land at Dunkirk port. The jury are now being shown a still from a truck stop in Verne in the very early hours - 0240 - Harrison says this shows Alex on the right. He appears to be buying a pair of gloves and a coke.
  • In the bottom right hand corner Harrison says that's him. The jury are now being shown a collection of CCTV images showing Harrison with another man - "Alex" - in a shop. Harrison confirms this shows him talking to "Alex".
  • 9th October 2105 there is a tracker in Harrison's tractor unit. Harrison says the data from that tracker goes to Hughes, showing him in live time where Harrison is.
  • Harrison says he doesn't remember stopping for any "significant" period of time on the 9th October. Court breaks for 20 minutes.
  • Alisdair Williamson QC, defence for Harrison, identifies "Alex" as Petrisor Zhargeca.
  • Returning from the break Harrison confirms Mr Zhargeca was in the cab with him when they arrived at the port. On the 9th October the tracker data on the lorry show it being in Nieppe and cell site data from Mr Zhargeca being in France.
  • The jury are now being shown a map of Bailleul, Harrison describes how there is a petrol station, a supermarket and a McDonald's and trucks and trailers parked in that area. A common place for truck drivers to stop.
  • On the 10th October the plan was to return to Nieppe. Data shows Harrison stopped back in Nieppe. Harrison says he drives there and then goes for a walk. "I walk out of the industrial estate and turn right".
  • Harrison says he is away from the cab for 5/10 minutes maybe longer. "I'm not too happy about it, but what can you do? I owe him that money" says Harrison. Harrison describes "Alex" as talking about stupid things like Romanian weddings and stuff.
  • Harrison says "Alex" is speaking in English and that his English was "fair enough". Harrison says he was told to be away for 10/15 minutes. He says when he returned to the lorry he did not have a load in the lorry at this point.
  • Harrison confirms the lorry has been moved when he returns. Harrison says you can't really feel anything under 24 or 25 tonnes in the trailer, over that you'd feel it in the trailer.
  • The tracker then shows the lorry stopping for 4 minutes or so in La Chapelle-d'Armentieres. Harrison says nothing happens there. He says Alex just sat looking at his phone before directing him on.
  • Harrison says they go to just outside Bruges and Alex directs him up the motorway to a parking area. He describes it as just a green area.
  • The tracker then locates Harrison in Lissewege. Harrison confirms he recognises the petrol station, where he has stopped a couple of times.
  • Harrison explains you have to hand in a certain card with a reference, "Alex" was looking to see if there was one there from a driver at that particular petrol station. They then go on another half mile down the road to another petrol station to get wifi for his phone.
  • Arriving at the port Harrison no longer has "Alex" with him. Harrison then explains the two phone calls he makes at this time. The first to a friend and later to another separate friend. They are nothing to do with this case, says Harrison.
  • Harrison is then directed down to Calais to drop "Alex" off at All The Trucks. All The Trucks is a truck stop in Calais. Harrison confirms he drops "Alex" there and then spends the night outside All The Trucks, as you have to pay to stay there.
  • Harrison says he dropped "Alex" at another lorry. Harrison spends the night overnight in his cab. On the 11th Harrison says he just stayed around that area, if he wasn't drinking he was eating, he says.
  • Harrison says "it's lonely" when you're in your cab with nothing to do. On the morning of the 12th Oct Harrison is directed to go to Bierne. "Alex" is in France at this time. Harrison stops for 18 minutes. He says he doesn't ask Alex any questions.
  • Here ends the live tweeting of this case as I’m being sent in another job. Apologies people following this.
 
Something about Harrison's story seems a bit iffy, I would have thought Ronan's loss would have been covered by insurance, if so he's conned Harrison, or this whole story is BS to try and reduce his sentence. There's also a sob story about ADHD and struggling to make friends in school there too. It seems that his defences game is trying to create an image of a vulnerable individual who isn't capable of making decisions.

Confused by that Feb 2019 date for Harrison buying his truck, as there are pics of it being done up in August 2018 and it is on the road with 'E. Harrison International' decals by October 2018. He's also clearly spent a fair bit of money on it, with a new paint job, lights and an exhaust system.
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All so dodgy. Insured in Bulgaria etc. All the drivers were under 25 at the time of the events, so that must have saved him a fortune.

It may well be that RH did in fact claim on the insurance but didn't tell EH and used it to coerce him anyway. Why else would you continue to employ a driver who had overturned a trailer while drunk?

But it beggars belief that during the stops to load the migrants it didn't occur to him that any load such as vodka / cigarettes at the value that made all this worthwhile would presumably arrive in something other than a taxi, and be evident as weight in the trailer. And that he was in the hotel on at least one occasion with Nica and RH and none of them mentioned migrant smuggling.

I wonder if 'Alex' is one of the people arrested in France and Belgium in May?

Jordan Milne does seem to be back this morning, which is great news!
 
Also, hard to believe that having been stopped once working for RH and finding migrants in the trailer, it didn't occur to EH that any other dodgy loads (once he was carrying what he admits were dodgy loads) would include migrants. In taxis.

I don't suppose he was any great mastermind in the operation (being far from a mastermind of any kind) , he wouldn't have been behind the truly disastrous decision to carry a double load, he probably was under pressure from RH - even if just to earn enough to buy his own truck as presumably with a drunk driving crash on his record no reputable haulier would let him behind a wheel, but I don't believe that he wasn't aware that they were smuggling migrants.

And his father is an LGV driver. Wouldn't he have advised EH that RH could have claimed in insurance? How did his Dad think he was getting all that work after a drunk driving crash?
 
Jordan Milne's reporting from this morning:
https://twitter.com/JEMilneSky/status/1329369580226154497
  • Returning to the events of the 22nd October, Mr Williamson QC - representing Mr Harrison - shows the jury a map of Bierne recording the location of Harrison's lorry just before 0900 that morning.
  • At 0921 the lorry is in the same location in which two taxis are seen to arrive on CCTV and then a third at 0927 on Route de Socx. At 0944 data shows Harrison moving for the first time that day to Chemin Noold Straete.
  • Ronan told Harrison there was going to be a load of stolen goods and that he was to go and meet "Alex" hence his movement into Chemin Noold Straete, says Harrison.
  • Between 0948 and 1014 Harrison says he was just sitting on his own - in his cab - waiting for "Alex". The jury are now being shown CCTV footage of two taxis arriving followed by Harrison's lorry. Harrison says he "had nothing to do with that taxi".
  • The jury are now being shown CCTV footage of Harrison's lorry turning around and returning back down Chemin Noold Straete. Harrison is seen on foot in more CCTV walking away from his lorry.
  • Harrison says the last time he saw "Alex" before the 22nd was on the 14th October. On the 17th he had just seen his white lorry. On the morning on the morning of the 22nd Harrison says he did not see "Alex".
  • Harrison is away from his lorry for around 9 minutes on the morning of the 22nd. The jury are now being shown CCTV that shows Harrison returning to his lorry at 1029.
  • At 1040 Harrison can be seen on CCTV driving onto the Route de Socx. Harrison says he sees, on the CCTV, that the ladders are down on the back of his lorry as he pulls out onto the Route de Socx. When we saw the lorry earlier, they were not pulled down.
  • Harrison says the ladders are stored in various places depending on the lorry type. Mr Williamson QC asks if you want to get into the back of the lorry, how do I get the ladders? Harrison says they're under the lorry and you just slide them out.
  • Harrison says he wouldn't normally drive with his ladders down, as seen in the CCTV. The next map shows Harrison moving in a South East direction. Harrison says he pulled into a nearby layby to set up Google maps on his phone.
  • Court breaks for 20 minutes.
  • Returning from the break the jury are being shown CCTV of Harrison arriving at a truck stop in Bierne. Whilst watching the CCTV Harrison says he's noticed the ladders are down at the back of his lorry.
  • On the CCTV Harrison can be seen getting out of the cab of the lorry and walking into the shop. Harrison can be seen entering wearing his "distinctive jacket". An alternative CCTV angle shows Harrison buying some water and snacks.
  • Harrison confirms he always wears his glasses. The CCTV shows him leaving the shop and returning to his lorry. Harrison says you wouldn't drive with your ladders down because "you're just asking to be pulled over, it's an offence".
  • Before entering the port of Zeebrugge, Harrison turns around and heads to a nearby petrol station. Harrison explains he doesn't have his reference before he drives into the port.
  • Harrison can be seen entering the shop at the petrol station, he buys a can of Redbull. Harrison explains he was going to get his reference from Ronan, who was to send it to him via WhatsApp.
  • At 1440 Ronan text Harrison. Harrison says he thinks that was the address he was going to be sent to. Harrison says he spent the evening in Holland.
  • At 0152 Ronan Hughes leaves Harrison a voicemail - by this time the 39 have been discovered in the back of the lorry in Essex. A call connects at 0822 the next day from Ronan Hughes to Harrison. Ronan called Harrison to say he had heard from Robinson.
  • Harrison says Ronan did not tell him what had happened. Harrison says he had not heard from Robinson. Just over an hour later Harrison receives two calls, he says from friends.
  • Friends had got in touch to ask if he had seen "Mo's lorry on the news", Harrison explains. He adds he thinks his friends got in touch on Whatsapp or snapchat or any other social media - though the phone records don't show any contact at this time.
  • Harrison says when he spoke to Hughes about what had happened, that wasn't the first time he had heard about it. He says he heard it from his friends and then looked at it on the internet.
  • Harrison says he was shocked. He says he did not understand what had happened. Harrison says he did not associate any of his actions with what had happened. He says he didn't know what to think when asked what he thought had happened.
  • The morning after the 22nd, Harrison was set to meet a driver in France to pick up some tiles.
  • Harrison decided to abandon the pick up in France and boarded a ferry to start making his way home. He says at this point "reality started to hit" he says he realised that was the trailer he had shipped "I realised I had done something".
  • "To tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking straight, I just listened" Harrison says of a conversation with Hughes. Harrison says the plan was to meet up with mum and dad and then go to a police station. Harrison says that's not what happened, he was arrested coming off the boat.
  • Harrison was taken to prison and placed in the mental health unit, he says. He explains he was placed there because of a threat to his life. He adds he has never been in a situation like this before - the mental health wing of a prison.
  • When asked what it is like, Harrison says "I wouldn't recommend it. I just kept to myself, I wouldn't mix with anyone." He was later moved from mental health unit to segregation. Harrison says he was not told by the Irish police where the threat to his life came from.
  • He says he was told not to go home, to stay in different places and to take different routes all the time. When asked where he thought the threat to his life came from, he says according to the guards it sounded like it came from a gang.
  • He says he took the threat to his life seriously. In total it took 7/8 months for Harrison to be extradited. He says he contested the extradition "on the advice of my solicitors".
  • Harrison says he was moved to the protection wing during the last month of his incarceration in the Irish prison.
  • 9th Sep 2020 Harrison serves a defence case statement. That first statement did not include the details the jury have just heard, says Harrison. He adds he buried his head in the sand, that he wasn't involved.
  • He did not say anything about being involved in stolen goods, he did not admit to any criminality in that first statement. He thinks he mentioned someone in the cab with him.
  • Harrison says it was made clear to him the importance of that document. He says he was very aware that he should tell the truth in that document but "I was scared, I just wanted to bury my head in the sand.
  • I didn't know who was who, what's what. I'd just been told there was a threat on my life". He serves a second defence statement a month later. Harrison says he told "the entire truth" in that statement. He said seeing how upset his mum was getting made him change his mind.
  • He says he couldn't put his mum through having to read about what he was supposed to have done. Harrison says he had no idea about what he was getting himself involved in.
  • Harrison says he did not agree with Hughes to put human beings in the back of his trailer - to pay off his debt to Hughes.
  • Bill Emlyn Jones for the prosecution rises to question Mr Harrison. Court breaks for an early lunch break to recommence at 1330.
 
  • Returning from lunch Bill Emlyn Jones begins address Mr Harrison - "I didn't know there were any people in my lorry" EJ says is the heart of Harrison's defence "I thought I was involved in smuggling stolen lorry parts".
  • Those two things are absolutely crucial to your defence, says Emlyn Jones. Harrison agrees. Harrison accepted that his first defence statement was not an honest account. Harrison said he was just burying his head in the sand.
  • There are 11 pages of information about Harrison's case in the defence statement. Emlyn Jones say there is not a word, not a breath about stolen lorry parts. Harrison agrees.
  • "The defendant acted on each occasion under the direction of Hughes. And the defendant had no reason to question or doubt Hughes's motives" Emlyn Jones reads the defence statement...
  • ..."as far as the defendant was concerned each trip had a legitimate purpose and concerned the movement of legitimate cargo" Harrison admits that was a lie. "I didn't know what was going on... I'm in a corner." says Harrison.
  • "The crown are put to strict proof that there were any immigrants in the trailer under the control of the defendants save the trailer 21st Oct 2019" says the defence statements. Harrison says I still didn't believe there were any migrants in the trailer on those dates.
  • I didn't believe at that stage that there were migrants in that trailer, says Harrison. He agrees he did not believe on the 10th and 17th there were migrants in his trailer, this from a defence statement taken on the 6th Sep 2020.
  • Emlyn Jones says in that document Harrison "carefully considered and committed to writing a detailed but false defence." Harrison says he was not in a place where he felt "he could mention" that he was involved in stolen lorry parts.
  • Harrison agrees he said he felt shocked when he discovered there were 39 migrants on board and that he felt devastated for their families. Harrison says he understands in EJ's case that he shut them in his trailer and that he was the last person to see them alive.
  • Harrison says he did not see them. Harrison said he would still feel *advertiser censored* whether he shut the door or not - "I didn't shut the door, I didn't know they were there". Harrison says he didn't know people were dead when they died. He found out the next day.
  • "I was in shock initially" when he heard the news. He said he felt devastated to their families when he realised it was the same trailer. Harrison agrees he found out about the news on the 23rd Oct.
  • He says he was in shock and "you know, it doesn't hit you straight away. It took me a while to comprehend what had happened."
  • "That was my plan, when I came off the boat I was going to the police but I was arrested and told there was a threat on my life" says Harrison.
  • EJ says if you had been devastated for those families and wanted those families to know the truth about what had happened, you could have done that couldn't you? "All I knew was that I took the trailer to the port" says Harrison.
  • EJ says you could have said to the police I have important information to give about those poor dead Vietnamese people. Harrison says "I had never been in that situation".
  • Harrison's extradition contest was denied, he appealed, ultimately he was extradited. EJ says that is the only reason why we're hearing anything from Harrison. "I was sitting in a cell being told there was a threat on my life, so excuse me for not wanting to talk" says Harrison.
  • EJ asks if Harrison felt devastated for the families when he was extradited to the UK - "obviously" he answers. He was offered the opportunity of an interview when he arrived in the UK, he declined. He said because he didn't have his solicitor with him.
  • EJ says Harrison's first chance to set the record straight is when he provides his defence statement. Harrison repeats "I was told there was a threat on my life, I'm sorry I was put in a position where I felt I couldn't talk".
  • EJ puts it to Harrison that his first statement didn't mention the stolen goods because he was hoping to get off. Harrison says that is not the case.
  • The second defence statement was provided on the 1st October, 4 days before the trial. EJ says this is when for the first time Harrison mentions these lorry parts. Harrison agrees.
  • EJ says Witness X was in Harrison's lorry on the 10th Oct. Harrison says yes from what I've seen. EJ says Witness X's statement hadn't been served at the time of the earlier defence statement and suggests that witness statement changed things.
  • Harrison says he hadn't had enough time with his solicitor to create a bond that made him comfortable talking to his solicitor.
  • Harrison says "in my first defence statement there are points that are dishonest".
  • Harrison says he was not going to Bierne on the 17th Oct, he was going to Calais. The jury are now being shown a map with tracking data that shows Harrison in Bierne.
  • "I never came up with anything, I told the truth" says Harrison. EJ asks, on the afternoon of the 17th Oct, remind us what you were saying in the first defence statement - Harrison received a call on the 17th from Hughes telling him to go to Zeebrugge.
  • EJ turns Harrison's attention to the messages exchanged between Robinson and Hughes. At which time Harrison is travelling to Nieppe.
  • "Look, yes I lied in the first defence statement" says Harrison. He adds "there is no denying that." Turning to Harrison's second defence statement EJ reads "the defendant accepts the account has materially changed since his first statement...
  • ... because the defendant was afraid to admit being in involved in any dishonest activity and fearful of implicating others in what he now knows is a people trafficking operation."
  • EJ says you couldn't be prosecuted for handling stolen goods could you? Because there weren't any. Harrison said he didn't know that at the time. EJ says you're not getting in trouble for committing an act that didn't take place...
  • "If I admit that I was involved in stolen lorry parts I would then implicate other people and I had been told there was a threat on my life so yes I was extremely fearful... I did not know who Alex is." Is Ronan Hughes someone you were reluctant to implicate? No, says Harrison
  • on 28 Aug before first defence statement, Ronan Hughes pleaded guilty to all 40 charges that Harrison faces. He says he was still in denial over what Ronan had done and it was only when Ronan pleaded guilty that he realised Ronan was "knee deep" in this.
  • "What is the truth?" asks Harrison. Who are you implicating in your second defence statement asks EJ. "I'm assuming it was Alex but I wasn't there to see who did or didn't shut the door... on any of the days... on the 22nd I don't know who he was".
  • EJ says on your case, there is a mysterious man that you have never seen before, waiting in a field, "I don't know his name", you have never given a description of him, how have you implicated him asks EJ. "I have not been in this situation before" says Harrison.
  • Does he even exists asks EJ, "yes he does" says Harrison. Harrison says it is not just about this man. EJ says this is also about Alex or the "Romo" as you call him. Harrison agrees. Harrison named him in his first defence statement, "I just mentioned him as a mechanic"
  • In a statement served in March the person Harrison known as "Alex" was named as the man who travelled with Harrison. EJ says as a reason not to tell the truth in his first defence statement was not keeping Alex a secret one of his considerations.
  • EJ says there is no reason why you couldn't havce given that account on the 9th of September in your first account. "There was a hit on my life... I don't think you've ever been in a situation where you have been told there is a hit on your life, have you?"
  • "I wish it would be as simple as that" says Harrison. EJ says you could have kept your phone couldn't you? Harrison says "I should have kept my phone".
  • Harrison repeats "I only had one phone". He agrees he would use WhatsApp and snapchat to communicate. EJ says given you say that Ronan Hughes was directing you, those messages would be highly relevant wouldn't they? Harrison says Ronan's messages would just be "go and meet..."
  • If you had done nothing to contribute to the death of those migrants, why did you get rid of your phone? "Because I was told to" says Harrison. "It's okay looking back now and thinking why did I do that but at the time I wasn't thinking right".
  • Why did you do? "Because I was told to" repeats Harrison. EJ asks did you ask why should I throw it away? "Because I was handling stolen lorry parts" says Harrison "I didn't even think about asking why when I was told to throw it away".
  • When he told you, says EJ, to throw the phone away did you not wonder why I should do that? "I didn't, I wish I had but I didn't".
  • The jury are now being shown a screenshot of a snapchat message sent from Ronan Hughes to Maurice Robinson that says "give them air quickly don't let them out" and then a thumbs up from Robinson in response.
  • Harrison is being asked about the other drivers Ronan Hughes had working for him. He can't recall all their names. Harrison agrees that on the night on the crossing it seems Hughes knew there was a problem with air in the trailer.
  • "That's Mo Robinson, my name is Eamonn Harrison" says Harrison. "I'm no Mo Robinson". EJ says Mo knew what was in the lorry didn't he? "Yes, I'm not Mo Robinson" says Harrison. The only reason we have this message is because we have Mo's phone says EJ.
  • And suggests that we would have similar on Harrison's phone if we had it. Harrison says no. EJ says people smugglers need to know how many people they are smuggling don't they? Harrison says "I don't know I'm not a people smuggler".
  • Harrison says people were being loaded onto his trailer by "Alex" without his knowledge. Harrison agrees that Hughes and Alex are spinning him a line about stolen lorry parts. Harrison says it "would seem" "Alex" is a people smuggler. "Look, I told the truth" says Harrison.
  • He is with you in the cab in the day of the 10th, do you remember him being on the phone all the time? Harrison says yes, he was on the phone a bit. "I assumed he was on the phone to his wife. he was talking about his wife".
  • "When he was on the phone he wasn't speaking English" says Harrison. Harrison agrees "Alex" knew where and when he had to be for the people smuggling. EJ says all the while that is happening, you are being kept in the dark? Yes, says Harrison.
  • EJ says you were in debt to Ronan Hughes, 50,000 euros plus. Would you agree with me that if it came to you doing something for him, he has you over a barrel doesn't he? "Yes but stolen lorry parts and people are two completely different things."
  • Did you know Hughes was involved in criminal activity? No, I didn't says Harrison - not at all. Harrison said it was the first he heard of Ronan being involved in people smuggling in this trial.
  • Harrison worked for Ronan Hughes since March 2018. He met other people who drive for English and Irish haulier and it never came to your attention that your boss was widely known as being involved? "He was known as a well established haulier" says Harrison.
  • EJ says so when he came to you and asked you to commit a crime how did you feel? "I wasn't happy about it. I owed him money. I didn't feel [I had a choice]". Court breaks for 20 minutes.
 
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  • Returning from the break Emlyn Jones says when Hughes came to Harrison to help him with his criminal activity, he rang you on a withheld number and remind us why? "Because I was avoiding his calls" says Harrison because he owed him money.
  • Harrison agrees he was in no position to play hard ball with Hughes when he called him. Harrison says Hughes chose to mislead/trick him. EJ says what Harrison was getting roped into was an important cog in the wheel of a people smuggling operation - "without my knowledge, yes"
  • "I wouldn't be involved in cigarette smuggling" says Harrison. But he knew it would happen. Harrison says he wouldn't have smuggled cigarettes or alcohol. "I don't know what he thought, all I know is that he liked me".
  • He did not tell Harrison he was bringing in Vietnamese migrants, says Harrison. EJ says why wouldn't he just have been straight with you? "I don't know, you'd have to asked him, he wasn't straight with me and if he had I would have told him to F off".
  • EJ says but with stolen lorry parts... "I agreed to it" says Harrison. EJ says, because you had no choice. You cost him tens of thousands of euros. Harrison says he still would have said no to migrants, tobacoo or booze.
  • Harrison says "he says he should have had insurance on the trailer and he didn't so he should bare some of the responsibility for it". Hence why he reduced the amount Harrison owed, says Harrison.
  • "I wouldn't know how much money he was making" says Harrison. EJ says enough to wipe your debt from 50,000 to 16,000 and he's going to pay you every time you work. "I don't know how much money was being made" says Harrison.
  • "I told him I didn't want anything to do with it" says Harrison. "It took me 2 days to say yes". "I would have said no straight out" if Hughes had asked Harrison to smuggle people.
  • "I wouldn't call it negotiating. I told him I wanted nothing to do with it and he said look I just need you to drive the truck top the border... I was took for a fool" says Harrison.
  • From the start of this business it's agreed you would take a walk asks EJ "I didn't want anything to do with it" says Harrison. EJ says, you're aware that people smuggling is a thing, yes? Harrison says "it's been on the news, it's something that goes on".
  • "I wouldn't know" if it was a long established practice says Harrison. On the 9th May 2018 a load of migrants were found in Harrison's trailer, says EJ. "Migrants were found on top of a load I was carrying" says Harrison. He confirms he was working for Hughes.
  • The migrants found in that trailer were Vietnamese. "I think I took a load out of Sweden, I could be wrong on this, could have been in Belgium or Germany and then I took 9 hours off and travelled on to the port".
  • The seal on the back of the trailer had been broken and glued back together, who did that asks EJ? "I haven't a clue" says Harrison. How are they going to get out asks EJ? "I haven't a clue."
  • "4,000 migrants sneak into lorries each year" says Harrison. "Do you not think maybe they had been lied to" when EJ says about the migrants paying for the VIP trip when the driver knows they are there.
  • Lets assume they don't get detected, you get to Kent with them, says EJ, it is only when you open the doors - "it would only have been when I made the delivery that I would open the doors, when I would have realised they were there" says Harrison.
  • "I haven't a clue, I'm not Ronan Hughes" when asked how Ronan Hughes works. EJ says when Hughes comes to you in 2019, why wouldn't he feel able to tell you the truth about the business he is roping you into?
  • "You would have to ask him that, I wouldn't trust me. I'm drunk, I've rolled lorries. I wouldn't trust me" says Harrison. EJ says what's going to happen to the migrants if you have a crash?
  • "I didn't know they were in there, it wouldn't have been the smartest thing, but I wouldn't have put them in there. I didn't know they were in there." He adds "I'm unreliable, I don't even know why he would put me in a position like that".
  • Why didn't he tell you the truth says EJ? "Because he took me for a fool" says Harrison. What would you have done if you'd found out asks EJ? "I wouldn't have taken the trailer to the port". Would you have gone to the police? "Honestly, I don't think I would".
  • "But I definitely wouldn't have taken the trailer to the port. I would have turfed them out. I would have assumed Ronan didn't know they were there and then I would have turfed them out" says Harrison.
  • "I'm not on board" [with Harrison]. Why would he take that risk asks EJ? "You'd have to ask Ronan Hughes not Eamonn Harrison" says Harrison.
  • How long were you supposed to go for a walk for asks EJ? "10 or 15 minute minutes I was told" says Harrison. "I was told to just go away from the truck". What's to stop you being able to see what they're Doing? "That's his risk, I was told to walk away."
  • "I'm not as nosey as other people" says Harrison. "There was nothing to stop me from doing that [keeping an eye] but I didn't" says Harrison.
  • EJ says I'm suggesting Mr Harrison that you're lying to us because what you're saying doesn't make sense at all. "How does it not make sense?" asks Harrison.
  • Harrison is then asked what the lorry parts were that he was transporting. Harrison explains its the side skirts and lights, they're stolen all the time, Harrison says.
  • EJ says you're interested in lorries aren't you, you would want to have a look wouldn't you? "No, I've seen headlights, they're not that interesting". EJ asks how are they loaded in? "I don't know" says Harrison.
  • "I don't know, Alex was there" says Harrison. "I don't know where the parts are coming from". They wouldn't fit in a taxi would they says EJ? "They might... I didn't see no taxis. I didn't put them in so I don't know".
  • Harrison says when he met Hughes at the time, he told him what he was going to be smuggling. EJ says Hughes has gone to the trouble of making up a particular type of lorry part... "They are lorry parts that are commonly stolen so it was believable to me".
  • You're told to take your walk on the 10th Oct, says EJ, but we know you've been on the 9th Oct stopping briefing in La Chapelle - though he doesn't remember stopping - then you went to Nieppe for 8 minutes. "He was showing me where he wanted me to go the next day" says Harrison
  • On the 10th Harrison is stationary in Nieppe for 4 minutes and 44 seconds. Harrison says he left the keys with him, "so maybe it was moved... I got out of it and it was moved after that". EJ says fairly quickly you're in Belgium with your new load in the back.
  • EJ says we know something about that stop because of Witness X, he says the truck drove up and the driver got out and the driver loaded him in. Harrison says but you said this was in Nieppe. EJ explains I'm asking about what happened in Nieppe.
  • Returning to Witness X, he said the driver loaded him in and you were the driver weren't you? "Not at that time no" says Alex. So this is when you went for your walk says EJ? "Yes."
  • "It had been turned around" when asked where the trailer had moved to. EJ says Witness X described the driver as English "I'm not English" says Harrison. He looked an sounded English said Witness X.
  • When asked how good Alex's English was, Harrison says, quite good. But in his first statement he said Alex spoke limited English so communication was awkward. "Alex spoke fine enough English" says Harrison.
  • EJ says Witness X could tell the difference between the English guy and the Europe guy. The driver was English, said Witness X.
  • EJ asks how would you describe your physique? "A wee bit rounder then" says Harrison. EJ says, Witness X said "a little bit fat". Harrison says "I'm a lot fat there and the man next to me isn't much smaller than me is he... he's like the same build".
  • Witness X says the same person came to the doors a little while after the initial pick up and gave them some water and some bags in which to urinate. He also said they were given an instruction that when they got the signal...
  • , a knock on the side of the container they had to huddle together in the middle of the container. Does that have the feeling of a tried and tested method? "I don't know" says Harrison.
  • EJ now turns to the stop at Lissewegge on the 10th, that would be the perfect opportunity for the knock wouldn't it? "I wouldn't know" says Harrison.
  • Harrison stopped there on the 10th, 19th and the 22nd. On the 10th Harrison says "Alex" would have been sitting in the passenger seat of the lorry before reaching the port of Zeebrugge. There was another petrol station that he got out at to call his wife.
  • On 17th Oct EJ says Harrison again goes to Zeebrugge with migrants in his trailer "It would seem that way, yes" says Harrison. On that date Harrison confirms he was on his own.
  • There is a stop just before you get to Zeebrugge on the 17th just as on the 10th. Harrison agrees. Harrison maintains he is only stopping at traffic lights, that's all the stop is.
  • On the 22nd Oct Harrison arrives at the port but doesn't have the reference number so he turns around and heads to the truck stop.
  • EJ asks is it the case you came here to give the signal? "That is not the case" says Harrison. EJ asks if that is the tried and tested method - "I don't know what you mean, tried and tested method" says Harrison.
  • "I didn't know they were there. They have obviously been lied to" says Harrison. Emlyn Jones concludes for this afternoon. Court returns 1100 tomorrow.

 
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Silverlink said:
Something about Harrison's story seems a bit iffy, I would have thought Ronan's loss would have been covered by insurance, if so he's conned Harrison, or this whole story is BS to try and reduce his sentence.
Click to expand...

I work in commercial trucking insurance, insurance is voided when illegal activity is involved. Since the driver was drunk, there would be no coverage for the vehicle or the cargo.

I'm also sure there was no physical damage coverage, as he insured them elsewhere specifically to save cost. My guess is they had liability coverage only.
 
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