ESSEX Police are looking for a driver who came to the aid of a woman on the A127 in West Horndon.

The 33-year-old woman had been a passenger in a white Ford Fiesta and reported the driver had assaulted her.

The suspect left her in a layby near The Halfway House at about 12am on Thursday 17 October.

The victim flagged down a passing blue BMW for help and asked the driver to take her to an address in Harold Wood.

We are keen to speak to this driver, as they may have information that could help with our enquiries.

If this was you, or someone you know, please contact the Basildon domestic abuse investigation team on 01268 244095, quoting incident 1460 of Wednesday 16 October.

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A WANTED man, who jumped through a glass window to avoid arrest, has been jailed for 30-months for dealing Class A drugs.

Basildon Crown Court heard how 25-year-old Bobby Stowers was wanted in connection with theft and also on a recall to prison.

Acting on intelligence that Stowers was inside an address in Falcon Avenue, Grays on August 3 2018, officers went to the property.

Seeing officers arrive, Stowers jumped through a glass first floor bedroom window before running in the direction of the nearby Manor Way industrial estate.

Officers gave chase and as they pursued Stowers they saw him throw a Nokia mobile phone.

Stowers was tasered, detained and arrested and officers then carried out a search of the property he had run from. Inside they found wraps of Class A drugs and other drug-dealing paraphernalia including weighing scales, cutting agent and plastic wrapping. The mobile phone he discarded also contained evidence of his involvement in the supply of drugs.

Stowers was charged and pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. He was jailed for 30-months.

Following the sentencing investigating officer PC Jonathan Kemp of the West Operation Raptor team said: “It was clear from the mobile phone and paraphernalia that we found that Stowers was heavily involved in the supply of Class A drugs.

“Unfortunately for him Operation Raptor were on hand to arrest him and, although he tried his best to escape by jumping from a window, we were right behind him.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related behaviour.

If you have information about drug or gang-related behaviour in your community contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Stowers was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 11 October.

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A MAN has received a life sentence for murder following the death of a man in South Ockendon back in 2017.

Daniel Boakye, 32, of Western Green, Dagenham, receive life with a minimum tariff of 11 years and eight months at Basildon Crown Court today, Monday 21 October.
He also received six years concurrent for being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and 18 months concurrent for possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Boakye previously admitted the offence on Tuesday 19 December 2017.

Zakaria Lahrar, 21, of Dee Close, Upminster, previously received 14 years after being found guilty of murder at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday 25 September 2018.
Just before 1pm on Monday 21 August 2017, Boakye and Lahrar entered an address in Eden Green, South Ockendon.

Daniel Adger, 34, was attacked by Boakye with a machete as he sat in a chair. He then ran outside calling for help while Boakye continued to attack him with the machete causing injuries to his legs, body and head.

Passers-by quickly came to his aid and attempted to dress Mr Adger’s wounds but he sadly died while being transferred to hospital.

Boakye and Lahrar drove from the scene in separate vehicles.

Extensive police investigation revealed the involvement of Boakye, Lahrar and a third person, Connal Cocker-Dawkins, 22, of Denmark Street, Plaistow.

CCTV showed Lahrar and Cocker-Dawkins meeting at a hotel in Grays shortly after the murder.

A huge police investigation followed which identified extensive telephone, CCTV and other evidence proving the involvement of Boakye and Lahrar in the attack and the supply of controlled drugs by Cocker-Dawkins.

Cocker-Dawkins was found not guilty of conspiracy to murder but had previously pleaded guilty of conspiring to supply cocaine.

He was jailed for three years on Thursday 8 March 2018.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Daniel Adger was subjected to a violent attack and suffered terrible wounds which sadly led to his death.

“There have been some delays in Boakye’s sentencing due to legal reasons but he has been in prison since his arrest.

“Boakye and Lahrar will now spend a long time in prison and I hope that this brings some comfort to Mr Adger’s family.

“We will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those that cause harm to others and we will not close any investigations until all of those responsible are held to account.”

Luis Jordan, 34, of Church Road in Manor Park, is due to stand trial for murder on Monday 24 February 2020.

He was arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, robbery, possession of a firearm, and causing grievous bodily harm.

The post Man receives life sentence for murder of Daniel Adger appeared first on Your Thurrock.

A prolific shoplifter has been jailed and banned from Grays town centre.

Darren Tubby, 46, was convicted of seven thefts, two attempted thefts, and a public order offence when he appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16 October.

He targeted QD, Tesco, Morrisons, Wilko, Poundland, Superdry and Aldi between June and August this year. Tubby, of Canberra Square, Tilbury, was jailed for a total of 16 weeks and ordered to pay £238.34 compensation. He was also made subject of a three-year criminal behaviour order, which prevents him from entering Grays Town Centre, with an exclusion area that includes the boundary of the A126, Derby Road, Crown Road and Argent Street.

Tubby is also banned, as part of this order, from going within 50 metres of Tesco Express in Calcutta Road, Tilbury.

Sergeant Ben Forbes, of the Thurrock Town Centre Team, said: “Tubby was a prolific shoplifter whose offending was having a detrimental impact on businesses and law abiding members of the public in our town centre.

“The Town Centre Team worked closely with officers in other teams, businesses and Thurrock Council, to gather evidence to bring him to court.

“This team effort has led to Tubby being jailed and subject of a criminal behaviour order, which we hope will curtail his offending in the future.

“This result is again thanks to my officers’ passion and commitment to making our town centre a safer place. By focusing our attention on being visible, proactive and engaging, we have been able to meet this commitment and will continue to do so.”

Cllr Rob Gledhill, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “We should not tolerate any form of criminal or anti-social behaviour in our town centres and will always work with Essex Police to make sure those blighting our borough are brought to justice and their activities halted. I am delighted that Thurrock Council’s joint work with Essex Police helped with this sentencing.

“We are providing £1million funding over four years to fund police officers in Thurrock and support specific operations such as that which led to the gang injunction. We will continue to work closely with Essex Police to ensure members of the public feel safe in their communities.”

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A DRUG dealer caught with 23 bags of cannabis and 16 wraps of the Class A drug cocaine has been jailed for three years.

Basildon Crown Court heard how officers from the West Operation Raptor team were patrolling in Bradbourne Road, Grays on January 29 this year when they stopped a BMW that was uninsured.

Officers searched the car, which was driven by 31-year-old Harry Moore and found two mobile phones which contained evidence linking him to the supply of drugs.

Under the front passenger seat the officers found a black bag containing 23 bags of the Class B drug cannabis weighing a total of more than 46grams and 16 wraps of the Class A drug cocaine weighing more than three grams. A drug dealing ‘tick list’ with the names of customers and amounts of money they owed was also discovered.

Moore of Oxford Avenue, Grays was arrested, charged and pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply and one count of possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.

He was jailed for three years at Basildon Crown Court.

Following the sentencing Sgt Scott Fitzmaurice of the West Operation Raptor team said: “Moore tried to deny that the holdall containing the drugs belonged to him.
“But it was clear from the evidence we found on his phones that he was involved in the supply of both Class A and B drugs.
“We will continue to proactively target the people who think they can deal drugs on the streets of our county.
“As we have demonstrated time and again, Operation Raptor will be waiting for you, we will arrest you and we will put you behind bars.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

If you have information about drug or gang-related crime in your community contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Moore was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 11 October.

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ESSEX Police has launched a murder investigation after the bodies of 39 people were found inside a lorry container in Grays.

We were called by colleagues from the ambulance service shortly before 1.40am this morning Wednesday 23 October following the discovery of a lorry container with people inside at Waterglade Industrial Park, Eastern Avenue, Grays.

Emergency services arrived but sadly, 39 people were pronounced dead at the scene. Early indications suggest 38 are adults and one aged in their teens.

A 25-year-old-man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner said: “This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives. Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened.

“We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process.

“We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on Saturday 19 October and we are working closely with our partners to investigate.

“We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue. I appreciate this cordon is going to disrupt the activity of local businesses in the area and we will work to ensure that disruption is kept as short as possible. We are working with Thurrock Council to mitigate against any impact our investigation scene will have locally.”

A cordon has been put in place and access to and from the Waterglade Industrial Park remains closed.

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ESSEX Police detectives are continuing their investigation into the events in Grays this morning, Wednesday 23 October.

A spokesperson said: “We were called shortly after 1.40am by our colleagues in the East of England Ambulance Service to reports that, sadly, 39 people had been discovered dead in the container of a lorry at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Eastern Avenue.

Originally, we reported that the lorry had travelled into the country through Holyhead on Saturday 19 October.

After further enquiries, we now believe that the trailer travelled from Zeebrugge into Purfleet, and docked in the Thurrock area shortly after 12:30am this morning. The tractor unit of the lorry is believed to have originated in Northern Ireland.

We believe the lorry and trailer left the port shortly after 1.05am.

The driver of the lorry, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, remains in custody having been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A cordon has remained in place at Eastern Avenue for most of the day and this remains in place.

We thank everyone in the area, especially residents and local businesses, for their patience and compassion throughout the day.

This will be a lengthy and complex investigation and we continue to work with local partners and international authorities to gather vital intelligence and identify those who have sadly died.

We urge anyone with information to contact our Major Investigation Team on 101 or visit our website.

The post Grays murder investigation: Police now believe trailer travelled from Zeebrugge to Purfleet appeared first on Your Thurrock.

THE criminal investigation into the death of 39 people found dead in the back of a lorry in Purfleet enters its second day.

Police are continuing to question a lorry driver over 39 people found dead in the refrigerated trailer off Eastern Avenue in West Thurrock.

Officers in Northern Ireland have raided two houses and the National Crime Agency said it was working to identify “organised crime groups who may have played a part”.

The trailer arrived in Purfleet on the River Thames from Zeebrugge, Belgium.

Ambulance staff discovered the bodies in the container at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays just after 01:30 BST on Wednesday. The lorry and trailer left the port at Purfleet shortly after 01:05.

Eric Van Duyse, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office, said an investigation into the incident was under way.

He added: “We have no idea at the moment how long the lorry spent in Belgium, it could be hours or days, we just don’t know.”

Police said the tractor unit (the front part of the lorry) came from Northern Ireland and picked up the trailer from Purfleet.

Essex Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills said the vehicle had been moved to a secure site at Tilbury Docks so the bodies of the 38 adults and one teenager could be “recovered while preserving the dignity of the victims”.

The nationalities of the victims were not immediately known, with the police warning that the formal identification “could be a lengthy process”.

Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said temperatures in refrigerated trailers could be as low as -25C.

He described conditions for anyone inside as “absolutely horrendous”.

Maurice Wren, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, said: “This is truly tragic news, but depressingly predictable and avoidable news. If you deny people safe and regular travel routes to find safety, you are leaving them with no choice but to risk their lives on utterly perilous journeys and in the hands of criminal gangs. These gangs are a symptom of a much deeper problem – namely Governments’ failure to provide safety to those who desperately need it.

“As long as we think the answer to this tragedy is about building high walls and impenetrable borders, this will keep happening. As we have done so many times before, we urge the Government to introduce safe and regular travel routes – such as, in the case of refugees, widening the definition of family members eligible to reunite under refugee family reunion rules. ”

The post Investigation into death of 39 people in Grays enters second day appeared first on Your Thurrock.

DETECTIVES investigating the murder of 39 people in Grays have secured a warrant of further detention from local magistrates at Basildon for a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland.

The man, a lorry driver, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and will now remain in custody for up to an additional 24 hours.

It follows the tragic discovery of the bodies of 8 women and 31 men in the trailer of a lorry in Waterglade Industrial Park, Grays, shortly before 1.40am on Wednesday 23 October.

Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills said: “We continue to ask journalists and those on social media not to speculate about the identity of the lorry driver.

“This is an incredibly sensitive and high-profile investigation, and we are working swiftly to gather as full a picture as possible as to how these people lost their lives.

“Our recovery of the bodies is ongoing and the post-mortem and identification processes, which will be lengthy and complex, can then begin.

“Our number one priority is the preserving the dignity of the 39 people who have died and ensuring that we get answers for their loved ones.”

This afternoon, Superintendent Craig Saunders and Chief Inspector Claire Talbot paid their respects with members of Thurrock Council by signing the open book of condolence at the civic office in Grays.

Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted by this event, and our dedicated hotline for this incident remains open. If you are worried about a loved one and you reside in the UK please call us on 0800 056 0944.

If you are dialling internationally, please call 0044 207 158 0010.

If you have any information that you think can help our investigation please call us on 101 or submit your information online at https://mipp.police.uk.

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THE first 11 victims are being transported under police escort by private ambulance from the Port of Tilbury to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford having left the port at 7.41pm.

The process of victim recovery under the DVI process is likely to take some time.

The next stages will be for post-mortem examinations to be carried out.

This is all being done in liaison with HM Coroner and we continue to ensure the dignity of the victims is our primary consideration.

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ESSEX Police have carried out warrants in Cheshire as part of the investigation into 39 bodies being discovered in a lorry trailer in Grays.

As a result, a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Warrington have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of 39 counts of manslaughter.

A 25-year-old man, the driver of the lorry, remains in custody on suspicion of murder. A warrant of further detention was granted yesterday, Thursday 24 October, by local magistrates.

We would continue to ask journalists and those on social media not to speculate of the identities of anyone involved in this investigation.

Last night, Thursday 24 October, we began the movement of the victims from the Port of Tilbury to the chosen mortuary site at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

This is all being done in close liaison with HM Coroner and we continue to work to ensure that the dignity of victims and respect for their loved ones are at the forefront of our investigation.

The first post-mortem examinations will begin today, Friday 25 October.

Formal identification will then follow the coronial process and will be a lengthy but crucial part of this investigation. As our investigations continue, the picture may change regarding identification, and we will continue to provide updates when appropriate under the direction of HM Coroner.

The post Grays lorry deaths: Two arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and trafficking appeared first on Your Thurrock.

AT least three of the 39 people found dead in a lorry trailer in West Thurrock may have been from Vietnam reports the BBC.

The BBC knows of three Vietnamese people whose relatives are worried they may have been in the trailer.

Pham Thi Tra My, 26, has not been heard from since she sent urgent messages on Tuesday saying she could not breathe.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and the lorry driver remains in custody on suspicion of murder.

Ms Tra My’s brother, Pham Ngoc Tuan, says she had paid £30,000 to people smugglers and her last-known location had been Belgium.

The smugglers are understood to have returned money to families of suspected victims.

The last message they received from her was at 22:30 BST on Tuesday – two hours before the trailer arrived at the Purfleet terminal from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

Her brother told the BBC: “My sister went missing on 23 October on the way from Vietnam to the UK and we couldn’t contact her. We are concerned she may be in that trailer.
“We are asking the British police to help investigate so that my sister can be returned to the family.”

Ms Tra My’s family have shared the last text messages she sent to her parents.

They read: “I am really, really sorry, Mum and Dad, my trip to a foreign land has failed,” she wrote.

“I am dying, I can’t breathe. I love you very much Mum and Dad. I am sorry, Mother.”

Ms Tra My’s brother told the BBC her journey to the UK had begun on 3 October. She had told the family not to contact her because “the organisers” did not allow her to receive calls.

The bodies were discovered in the early hours of Wednesday

“She flew to China and stayed there for a couple days, then left for France,” he said.

“She called us when she reached each destination. The first attempt she made to cross the border to the UK was 19 October, but she got caught and turned back. I don’t know for sure from which port.”

The BBC has passed details of Ms Tra My, who is from Nghen town in Can Loc district of Ha Tinh province area of Vietnam, to Essex Police.

The BBC also knows of two other Vietnamese nationals who are missing – a 26-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman.

The brother of the 19-year-old said his sister called him at 07:20 Belgian local time (06:20 BST) on Tuesday, saying she was getting into a container and was turning off her phone to avoid detection.

He has not heard from her since.

He said a people smuggler returned money to the family overnight, and the family of the 26-year-old who she was travelling with also received money back.
A spokesman from the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK confirmed they were in contact with Essex Police in regard to Ms Tra My.

The post Grays lorry deaths: Vietnamese families fear relatives among dead appeared first on Your Thurrock.

EFFORTS to identify 39 bodies found inside a lorry are focusing on the Vietnamese community, police have said, as officers seek to establish whether a “wider conspiracy” was involved.

Eight women and 31 men were discovered in Grays, Essex, on Wednesday.

Det Ch Insp Martin Pasmore said he remained “open-minded” about the nationalities of the victims.

A fifth person has been arrested in connection with the deaths, while four suspects remain in custody.

Essex Police say bodies of 39 people have been recovered from the lorry where they were discovered on Wednesday, with post-mortems under way

Det Ch Insp Martin Pasmore says the force can't yet confirm “the nationality of all of the deceased”https://t.co/9byOuK3eKF pic.twitter.com/uFcwNL33lm

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 26, 2019

The victims – whom police initially believed to be Chinese nationals – were inside a refrigerated trailer which came to the UK via the port of Zeebrugge.

Essex Police said there had been a “large amount of engagement” from the Vietnamese population since the discovery.
VietHome, an organisation that represents the Vietnamese community in the UK, said it had received photos of nearly

In Vietnam, Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam said he had been told of “more than 100” people who left the Yen Thanh province “on their way to a new life”.

Families from the area believed their relatives were victims of the “tragic journey”, he said.

Det Ch Insp Pasmore, who is leading the Essex force’s identification efforts, said the bodies had been removed from the trailer and taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

Those inside were carrying “very few” identity documents, leaving officers to rely on fingerprints, DNA and distinguishing features such as tattoos or scars, he said.

Appealing to the Vietnamese community, Det Ch Insp Pasmore said people in the UK illegally may be concerned for a relative but fearful of approaching the police.

He said Essex Police would “take no action whatsoever” against those who come forward.

Det Ch Insp Pasmore said he had also met the Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK, who had vowed to help with the identification process.

Addressing a press conference, he said he was unable to comment on “investigative elements” of the case.
However, he said there were “lines of inquiry that are set of course to establish whether or not there are wider conspiracies involved in this”.

The post Grays lorry deaths: Appeal to Vietnamese over victims’ identities appeared first on Your Thurrock.

THE Crown Prosecution service has authorised Essex Police to charge a man in connection with the investigating the deaths of 39 people whose bodies were found in Grays on Wednesday.

Maurice Robinson, 25, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, Northern Ireland was arrested shortly after the discovery was made at the Waterglade Retail Park.

He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday 28 October charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, Conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

Three other people have been arrested in connection with this investigation.

A 38 year-old man and a 38 year-old woman from Warrington and a 48 year-old man from Northern Ireland, who were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter remain in custody.

The post Grays lorry deaths: Man charged with 39 counts of manslaughter appeared first on Your Thurrock.

ALL of the 39 people found in the lorry have now been moved from Tilbury Docks to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

The process to identify them and where they are from is continuing. This process works in tandem to the investigative process – as police look to both identify those who have died and identify and preserve any forensic evidence so that we can achieve justice for each of these victims and their loved ones.

This is the largest mass fatality victim identification process in the history of Essex Police.

Police are using internationally-recognised standards of identification to identify the deceased. These are known as the INTERPOL Disaster Victim Identification Standards.

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) is the internationally accepted term for the processes and procedures for recovering and identifying deceased people and human remains in multiple fatality incidents.

The process involves bringing together antemortem and postmortem information to make a positive identification by scientific means in a dignified manner, taking into account the needs of the investigation process, the needs of the bereaved and the needs of the community.

Victims are identified where possible, by at least one of the primary identification methods which are dental comparison, fingerprints and DNA.

Other, secondary, identification features are also taken into consideration, such as tattoos and scars. Supporting information to consider can include jewellery, clothing or property.

Once a preliminary identification has been made, trained liaison officers are deployed to support families.

These processes take place in conjunction with the Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray. Both Essex Police and the coroner are committed to working as quickly as possible to identify people and repatriate them to their families.

Every victim a forensic scene. Officers are meticulously processing all the property that was with the victims and in the lorry and every item has an individual record made of it.

There are 39 victims and each appears to have a bag of some description, clothes, and other belongings.

So far we have over 500 exhibits, including mobile phones which have to be downloaded and the interrogation of mobile phones will be important for identifying the victims but also assisting the wider investigation – this needs to be done in forensic way so it will pass the evidential process for court later.

As in any instance where a mass fatality has unfolded we cannot predict how long this process will take.

Senior Identification Manager Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore said:

“We are working hard to understand how the 39 victims of this tragic incident have died and to identify all those involved.

“We remain open minded as to nationalities of those who have died. We are asking anyone who may have information that may assist us in identification to come forward to us.

“If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you.

“It may well be people are here illegally and they want to come forward with information or concerns, particularly if they believe their loved one is involved. We want to identify their loved ones and reunite but they are frightened.

“We understand some people may be frightened but I hope people will put trust in me and make that leap of faith – Essex Police will not look to take any action against you.

“Please make contact with my team by reporting information through our portal https://mipp.police.uk or contact our dedicated hotline on 0800 056 0944 if you live in the UK and 0044 207 158 0010 if you’re dialling internationally.

“Our thoughts remain with all those so affected by this tragedy.”

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THREE people arrested in connection with the investigation into the deaths of the 39 people whose bodies were found in Grays on Wednesday have been released on bail.

A 38 year-old man and a 38 year-old woman from Warrington were arrested in Cheshire on Friday 25 October while a 45 year-old man from Northern Ireland was arrested at Stansted Airport later the same day.

All three had been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people.

The man and woman from Warrington have both been released on bail until 11 November while the man from Northern Ireland has been bailed until 13 November.

We would asked the public and media not to speculate in relation to the bail of these people or their identities.

A 25 year-old man – Maurice Robinson, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, Northern Ireland – is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Monday 28 October) charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, and money laundering.

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ESSEX Police can confirm that a man arrested by the Garda at Dublin Port on Saturday 26 October is a person of interest in their murder investigation regarding the 39 people found dead in a lorry in Purfleet on Wednesday 23 October.

His arrest was for an unconnected matter.

They are liaising with the Garda via telephone as this man is currently held outside the jurisdiction of the law of England and Wales

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A LORRY driver has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated trailer in West Thurrock.

The bodies were found in the container in the early hours of Wednesday on an industrial estate in Grays.

Maurice Robinson, 25, of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, appeared via video-link at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody.

DNA tests are being carried out in Vietnam to help to identify the dead.

Mr Robinson is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

He will next appear at the Old Bailey on 25 November.

Three other people arrested in connection with the deaths were released on bail on Sunday.

The post Lorry driver appears in court over 39 people found dead in Grays appeared first on Your Thurrock.

THE PRIME Minister, Boris Johnson visited Thurrock Council offices this morning to sign the Book of Condolences for the 39 people found dead in the back of a lorry in West Thurrock.

He was joined by the Hone Secretary, Priti Patel, the Chief Constable of Essex, BJ Harrington, and MP for Thurrock, Jackie Doyle-Price. The PM also laid flowers outside the offices in Mulberry Gardens.

.@BorisJohnson signs a book of condolence in honour of the 39 people who died in the back of a lorry.

A 20-year-old illegal migrant told Sky News life so bad in his home country that he "didn't care" if he died trying to escape.

Read his story here: https://t.co/zw9LRlAS35 pic.twitter.com/U8Eym0N69g

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 28, 2019

Chief Constable Harrington said: “Last week our county was shaken by this tragic event. Our thoughts continue to be with all those who have lost their lives, and also with their loved ones.

“I would like thank the emergency service workers and anyone who has come together to support this investigation in such difficult and traumatic circumstances.

“Thurrock Council has kindly opened the gardens for those who wish to pay their respects to the people who lost their lives last week.

“As we have said this will be a long and complex investigation. We will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice and would ask for patience while we ensure the identification of those who have died is carried out with dignity.”

Essex Fire and Crime Commissioner Mr Hirst said: “This is a truly tragic event and of course it has attracted a lot of attention from the media and the public. I have heard from many of our residents how shocked they have been that this has happened in our county and their heartfelt concern for the victims and their families.

“It is very important that Essex Police are being given the time and space to conduct a thorough investigation in these vital first few days. It is by letting

Essex Police do what they do best, that the victims and their families will be treated with respect and we can all be confident that everything is being done that can be done to bring those responsible to justice.

“I would like to pay tribute to the work undertaken by Essex Police and our other emergency services, including Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and partners who have worked so hard in difficult circumstances over the last few days. I would also like to thank the Home Office, National Crime Agency, Border Force and Thurrock Council for their ongoing support.

“As the investigation proceeds and we learn more about how this tragic event has happened I would ask all of you to remember the individuals involved, the victims and their families.

“We recognise the public concern around the incident and the level of impact it is having on communities and local businesses. We thank them for their support at this difficult time. We can assure them everybody is working together to achieve the outcome the victims deserve.”

BBC Essex "Chief Constable of EssexPoliceUK BJ Harrington says his top priority is getting justice for the families of the 39 people found in a lorry in #Grays last week. A man has appeared in court this morning charged with their manslaughter. pic.twitter.com/mUyubZhILE"

— Total Essex (@TotalEssex) October 28, 2019

Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price fielded questions from the press outside the civic offices.

Ms Doyle-Price told reporters: “The problem with people trafficking is to do with too few checks being done in Belgium at the port of Zeebrugge and is not to do with under investment at Purfleet. ”

BBC Essex "#Thurrock MP JackieDP says the problem with people trafficking is to do with too few checks being done in Belgium at the port of Zebrugge and is NOT to do with under investment at Purfleet. pic.twitter.com/GFyrq3MfVi"

— Total Essex (@TotalEssex) October 28, 2019

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