A 40-year-old man has appeared in court in England charged with the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead inside a lorry container in Essex last year.
Ronan Hughes, who was extradited to the UK from Ireland earlier this week, was brought before Southend Magistrates' Court by video link from a police station.
The haulier, who gave his address to the court as Dalton Park, Armagh, is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter between 22 and 24 October 2019.
He is also charged with one count of facilitating the illegal entry of people into the UK between 1 May 2018 and 24 October 2019.
Prosecutors say Mr Hughes operated a road haulage business and his trailers and drivers were used to transport migrants. They allege he played a leading role.
Mr Hughes spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and to state his nationality as Irish.
The defendant, who was flanked by two police officers wearing face masks, was not asked to enter pleas.
He remained seated throughout the 11-minute hearing and no application for bail was made.
District Judge Timothy King remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey in London on 22 July for a plea hearing.
During today's hearing, the judge read out the names of the 39 Vietnamese nationals who died.
Their bodies were discovered at an industrial estate in Grays shortly after the container arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium in the early hours of 23 October last.
The lorry's driver, Maurice Robinson, admitted 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey in April after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
The 25-year-old, of Craigavon in Co Armagh, also admitted acquiring criminal property, but denied a further charge of transferring criminal property.
