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Court told of distress among asylum seekers locked in shipping container Court told of distress among asylum seekers locked in shipping container
(about 4 hours later)
Details of the extreme distress experienced by 35 Afghan asylum seekers during their crossing to the UK in a shipping container have been revealed during the trial of four men accused of participating in a “large and organised” people-smuggling syndicate.Details of the extreme distress experienced by 35 Afghan asylum seekers during their crossing to the UK in a shipping container have been revealed during the trial of four men accused of participating in a “large and organised” people-smuggling syndicate.
The stress of being locked in the 40ft metal container for more than 12 hours, concealed above the cargo in the cramped upper section, might have caused the death of one of the migrants during the overnight ferry crossing from Belgium to the UK last August, a court heard on Wednesday.The stress of being locked in the 40ft metal container for more than 12 hours, concealed above the cargo in the cramped upper section, might have caused the death of one of the migrants during the overnight ferry crossing from Belgium to the UK last August, a court heard on Wednesday.
Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, died from heart failure, according to a postmortem, prosecutor Michael Goodwin told the court. The pathologist concluded that the “stress of being locked in the container could have triggered such an irregularity of the heart”, the jury at Basildon crown court heard. Some of the other migrants appeared to be unconscious when they were found inside the container.Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, died from heart failure, according to a postmortem, prosecutor Michael Goodwin told the court. The pathologist concluded that the “stress of being locked in the container could have triggered such an irregularity of the heart”, the jury at Basildon crown court heard. Some of the other migrants appeared to be unconscious when they were found inside the container.
Jurors watched video footage, filmed by the captain of the Norstream, a P&O ferry, of the scene on the ship’s cargo deck, moments after police broke open the container’s doors and 34 migrants were led or carried out, in great distress. Jurors watched video footage, filmed by the captain of the Norstream, a P&O ferry, of the scene on the ship’s cargo deck, moments after police broke open the container’s doors and 34 migrants were led or carried out in great distress.
Many of them were having difficulty breathing. In the first clip, a man could be seen sitting on the floor of the deck, rocking, a woman’s voice could be heard wailing, several small children were huddled together, and an official in a neon yellow jacket was visible carrying a small child.Many of them were having difficulty breathing. In the first clip, a man could be seen sitting on the floor of the deck, rocking, a woman’s voice could be heard wailing, several small children were huddled together, and an official in a neon yellow jacket was visible carrying a small child.
In the second clip, ambulances had arrived on board the ship to help the nine surviving men, 10 women and 15 children, aged between 72 and 16 months old. Migrants were seen lying on the deck, covered in blankets.In the second clip, ambulances had arrived on board the ship to help the nine surviving men, 10 women and 15 children, aged between 72 and 16 months old. Migrants were seen lying on the deck, covered in blankets.
In a written statement read out to the court, the master of the ship recalled seeing a big group of people “screaming and crying. They appeared in a state of shock, dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. Some of the children were in serious shock and had fainted.” Witnesses described seeing condensation dripping from the roof of the container when its doors were cut open.In a written statement read out to the court, the master of the ship recalled seeing a big group of people “screaming and crying. They appeared in a state of shock, dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. Some of the children were in serious shock and had fainted.” Witnesses described seeing condensation dripping from the roof of the container when its doors were cut open.
Police constable John Barter, who was on duty at 6am in Tilbury docks on 16 August 2014, described the scene when the container doors were opened with bolt-cutters. Migrants were visible lying on top of 26 4ft high, 1,000 litre plastic containers. Police constable John Barter, who was on duty at 6am in Tilbury docks on 16 August 2014, described the scene when the container doors were opened with bolt-cutters. Migrants were visible lying on top of 26 4ft high, 1,000 litre plastic containers. “We opened the right-hand door and we could see women and children; they were quite dishevelled,” Barter said. “It was quite warm. They had been in total darkness . They had been lying on top of the cargo; some of the fluid had come out and they were lying in that.”
“We opened the right-hand door and we could see women and children; they were quite dishevelled,” Barter said.
“It was quite warm. They had been in total darkness . They had been lying on top of the cargo; some of the fluid had come out and they were lying in that.”
He helped to carry out an elderly woman. “We had to go backwards and forwards bringing people out. The children had to be carried,” he said.He helped to carry out an elderly woman. “We had to go backwards and forwards bringing people out. The children had to be carried,” he said.
Stephen McLaughlin, 34, and Timothy Murphy, 33, both from Londonderry, Martin McGlinchey, 47, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and Taha Sharif, 38, from Tottenham, London, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK.Stephen McLaughlin, 34, and Timothy Murphy, 33, both from Londonderry, Martin McGlinchey, 47, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and Taha Sharif, 38, from Tottenham, London, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK.
The prosecution laid out details of the alleged plans made by the conspirators as they prepared to transport the group of migrants to the UK. The migrants had been asked to meet in an empty area of Lokeren, a small town in Belgium, identified “as a convenient place to load the clandestines”, the prosecutor said, on a quiet bank holiday afternoon last August, to avoid attention. The prosecution laid out details of the alleged plans made by the conspirators as they prepared to transport the migrants to the UK. The migrants had been asked to meet in an empty area of Lokeren, a small town in Belgium, identified “as a convenient place to load the clandestines”, the prosecutor said, on a quiet bank holiday afternoon last August.
The prosecutor argued that the co-conspirators had probably brought a container full of 26 barrels of a water-based liquid from the UK to Belgium “to give the appearance of a legitimate load”, before the migrants were concealed in the container and brought back to the UK.The prosecutor argued that the co-conspirators had probably brought a container full of 26 barrels of a water-based liquid from the UK to Belgium “to give the appearance of a legitimate load”, before the migrants were concealed in the container and brought back to the UK.
Just two weeks before the transport of the 35 Afghan migrants, Murphy had been given a civil fine of £5,000 at the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles, when he was caught driving a freezer lorry containing 12 migrants, hidden in lockers beneath the cargo of frozen French fries. UK border officials, based in France, carried out checks on the lorry using a heartbeat detecting monitor and then searched the vehicle. Just two weeks before the transport of the 35 Afghan migrants, Murphy had been given a civil fine of £5,000 at the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles when he was caught driving a freezer lorry containing 12 migrants hidden in lockers beneath the cargo of frozen French fries. UK border officials based in France carried out checks on the lorry using a heartbeat detecting monitor and then searched the vehicle.
“This was not the case of energetic migrant running toward the lorry and jumping on just as it gets to the Eurostar. There were 12 people hidden inside there,” Goodwin said. “They had belongings with them and it looks like there was a child on board. This was not some accidental, chance escapade, this was organised crime, organised people-smuggling.” “This was not the case of energetic migrants running towards the lorry and jumping on just as it gets to the Eurostar. There were 12 people hidden inside there,” Goodwin said. “They had belongings with them and it looks like there was a child on board. This was not some accidental, chance escapade – this was organised crime, organised people-smuggling.”
The case is expected to continue until mid-July.The case is expected to continue until mid-July.