Gardaí arrest man in connection with 39 Essex lorry deaths

A man has been arrested by Gardaí in connection with the death of 39 people in a lorry in Essex last year.

The man was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant, issued by Essex Police. The man will appear before the High Court in Dublin tomorrow (21 April) at 10.30am, and may face extradition to the United Kingdom. A statement from An Garda Síochána specified that the man is in his 40s. According to a statement by Essex Police, the man has been charged with 39 offences of manslaughter, as well as immigration offences. Essex Police also specified that the man is from Armagh. In October 2019, 39 Vietnamese nationals were found dead in the back of a lorry in Essex. The dead included 10 teenagers. Five people, including two lorry drivers who operated the vehicle, have already been charged with manslaughter in connection with the crime. Several others are also under arrest. Last week, 25-year-old driver Maurice Robinson, from Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey. He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property at the same court on Monday 25 November. Four others will face trial starting in October later this year.