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A court has remanded in custody two lorry drivers from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, who are facing charges of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK.
The two men – Stephen McLaughlin, 34, and Timothy Murphy, 33 – have appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court to face charges relating to the death of one illegal immigrant and the illegal entry into the UK of 34 other illegal immigrants, who were discovered in a container at Tilbury Docks on Saturday 16 August.
The immigrants are all Sikhs from Afghanistan who were transported to the UK in a shipping container from Belgium. It is estimated they spent 18 hours in the container before being discovered suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, after banging on the sides of the container in desperation when it arrived at Tilbury, in Essex.
Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, was found dead inside the container at Tilbury – while some of the remaining immigrants were said to be just 20 minutes away from death when the container was opened. Many were drifting in and out of consciousness from the effects of cold and dehydration.
The group is now claiming asylum in the UK, after fleeing from persecution in Afghanistan.
Some of the immigrants already have relatives living in Essex and have been staying with them.
Stephen McLaughlin and Timothy Murphy will appear via video link at Basildon Crown Court in November.
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