Essex Lorry Deaths: Driver Granted Extradition Appeal

A Co Down man wanted in connection with the discovery of 39 Vietnamese nationals in a lorry in Essex has been granted an appeal against his extradition to the UK.

A Dublin High Court judge ruled that Eamonn Harrison, from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, can challenge the European Arrest Warrant issued for his arrest.

The 23 year-old's lawyers said there were "manifest errors" in the original warrant.

Mr Harrison faces 39 counts of manslaughter and charges for conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

He appeared in Dublin's High Court this morning, Wednesday 12 February.

It comes after the bodies of eight women and 31 males, two of whom were just 15 years-of-age, were discovered in a refrigerated trailer in an industrial park in Grays, last October.

Mr Harrison is alleged to have driven the trailer to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before it sailed to Purfleet in England.

Another man from Northern Ireland, aged 22, was arrested on Sunday 09 February on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration. He remains in custody in Essex.

Meanwhile, 25 year-old Maurice Robinson of Laurel Drive in Craigavon, Co Armagh is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter. He is yet to enter pleas for the manslaughter counts and conspiracy to commit human trafficking and transferring criminal property, but did admit to conspiring to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property at the Old Bailey in November.

His co-accused, Christopher Kennedy from Darkley, Co Armagh, has denied being involved in the alleged human trafficking plot and denied conspiring to assist unlawful immigration.

A small team of Essex police officers and staff this week travelled to Vietnam to meet the grieving families and work with partner agencies to advance the investigation.

Another individual, 43 year-old Gheorghe Nica, of Mimosa Close in Langdon Hills was detained at Frankfurt Airport on Wednesday 29 January.

Nica was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant, which had been successfully applied for by Essex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Saturday 08 February and will next appear at the Old Bailey, London, on 16 March.



(JG/CM)