Two men sentenced for migrant smuggling conspiracy

Gary Rothon and Lee Mandell were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court

Two British men who were caught with migrants, including three children, in the back of a van while pretending they were on a fishing trip in France, have been sentenced.

Gary Rothon, 47, from Essex, and Lee Mandell, 43, from Dagenham, admitted conspiring to assist with the illegal entry of eight Vietnamese nationals into the UK.

The court heard they told French police they "hoped to make it back for the West Ham game" before their lorry was searched on 10 January, 2020.

Both men were sentenced earlier to two years' imprisonment, suspended because of the "inordinate" delays in their case at Canterbury Crown Court.

The court heard Rothon and Mandell travelled in a hired lorry to France via the Eurotunnel at Folkestone.

They expected to earn £4,000 for the trip.

They took the midnight train to France, and then travelled from Calais to Boulogne where they are thought to have picked up the migrants, the court heard.

On their return, they were stopped by border control at Coquelles and told officials about their "fishing trip".

Prosecuting, Tessa Shroff said Mandell told officials they had gone to "check out" a fishing lake near Brimeux, northern France, and "had planned to get drunk".

'Denying knowledge'

"The rear compartment of the van was opened and eight Vietnamese nationals were found sitting on top of tools and plasterboard," Ms Shroff added.

The court heard the migrants did not have documentation and the two men denied knowledge of them being in the van.

Rothon and Mandell were arrested and were charged in May 2025.

Judge Edmund Fowler said without the significant delay they would "undoubtedly" have gone to prison "but five years is a long time to live with the anxiety of these proceedings".

The court heard the two men were said to have "rebuilt" their lives and shown "genuine remorse".

Along with their suspended sentences, they will also be required to complete 240 hours' unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation and abide by an electronically-monitored curfew.

Additional reporting by PA.