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Irish Post
30-07-2025
- Irish Post
Co. Armagh man jailed over 39 deaths in people-smuggling operation has sentence extended
A MAN from Co. Armagh who was jailed over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, woman and children in a people-smuggling operation has had his sentence extended. Ronan Hughes, 45, was sentenced to 20 years in February 2021 after pleading guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. However, he has now been handed an additional 16 months in prison after failing to fully pay a Confiscation Order. "Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people," said Heather Chalk of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness." Hughes was taken back to court last year and ordered to pay back a Confiscation Order totalling £182,078.90, to be paid in compensation to the victims' families. However, having only paid back a little more than £58,000, the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division asked the court to impose an additional sentence. On Tuesday, with Hughes still owning £123,698 (plus interest) a judge at Folkestone Magistrates' Court ordered him to serve an additional year and four months. "Hughes failed to pay back his Confiscation Order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail," said Ms Chalk. Conspiracy On October 23, 2019, 39 Vietnamese nationals aged between 15 and 44 were found unresponsive in the back of a lorry in Essex. They had died of oxygen starvation after being sealed in the air-tight container for nearly 12 hours. The lorry had travelled from Zeebrugge in Belgium to the Port of Purfleet in Essex. The CPS says Hughes was the ringleader of the operation, however, several other people have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. They include Eamonn Harrison, 28, from Co. Down, who collected the victims in northern France before dropping the container at Zeebrugge. He was found guilty of people-smuggling and 39 counts of manslaughter in December 2020 and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Maurice Robinson, 30, from Co. Armagh picked up the trailer in Purfleet and discovered the bodies. He was sentenced to 13 years and four months in January 2021 after pleading guilty to manslaughter and people smuggling. At the same time, 28-year-old Christopher Kennedy from Co. Armagh was jailed for seven years for his part in the wider smuggling operation, having been found guilty of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration. Caolan Gormley, 28, from Co. Armagh was sentenced in November 2023 to seven years after he was found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. While not directly involved in the events of that night, an investigation by Essex Constabulary revealed he was a member of the wider conspiracy to assist in people smuggling. See More: Essex Lorry Deaths, People Smuggling, Ronan Hughes
Sunday World
29-07-2025
- Sunday World
Irish hauiler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation to 39 victims' families
Ronan Hughes was found guilty of 39 people who were found in the back of a lorry. A haulage boss who admitted the manslaughter of 39 people who were found in the back of a lorry must serve an extra year and four months in jail after failing to pay the full amount of compensation ordered to families. Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019. The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet. Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims. Ronan Hughes News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29 He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday - and including the interest accrued - he still owed more than £127,000. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order. He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said. Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: "Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people. "It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness. "The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality. "Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail." In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children. They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's "second-in-command"; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent. To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
North Wales Chronicle
29-07-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Lorry deaths people smuggler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation
Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019. The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet. Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims. He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday – and including the interest accrued – he still owed more than £127,000. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order. He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said. Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: 'Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people. 'It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness. 'The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality. 'Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail.' In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children. They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's 'second-in-command'; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent. To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
South Wales Guardian
29-07-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Lorry deaths people smuggler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation
Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019. The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet. Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims. He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday – and including the interest accrued – he still owed more than £127,000. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order. He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said. Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: 'Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people. 'It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness. 'The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality. 'Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail.' In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children. They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's 'second-in-command'; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent. To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
Glasgow Times
29-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Lorry deaths people smuggler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation
Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019. The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet. Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims. He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday – and including the interest accrued – he still owed more than £127,000. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order. The container lorry in which 39 people were found dead (Aaron Chown/PA) He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said. Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: 'Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people. 'It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness. 'The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality. 'Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail.' In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children. They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's 'second-in-command'; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent. To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
