TWO men will face a re-trial after a jury failed to deliver a verdict over immigrants being smuggled into the UK in a container through Tilbury Docks.
Following more than a week of deliberation the jury at Basildon Crown Court said they could not deliver a majority verdict for defendants Stephen McLaughlin, 34, of Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and Martin McGlinchey, 47, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
The men were accused of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK, after 35 Afghan Sikhs were discovered in August, 2014.
One man, Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, was found dead inside the container and Basildon Hospital subsequently declared an emergency while tending to the rest of the group, which included a child aged 16 months.
Yesterday the jury decided Timothy Murphy, 33, of Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was not guilty of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK. Taha Sharif, 32, of no fixed address, was found guilty of the same charge last week.
McLaughlin and McGlinchey will face a retrial in May 2016 and were released on conditional bail.
Sharif will be sentenced at the end of the retrial by Judge Jonathan Lodge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article