Channel deaths were unlawful killings - inquest

The three men were among 44 migrants who crossed the Channel in an inflatable dinghy

Three men who drowned in the English Channel after the small boat they were in sank were unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled.

The men were among 44 migrants on the inflatable dinghy trying to reach the Kent coast in December 2022, the Maidstone inquest heard on Wednesday.

Ibrahima Bah, a Senegalese migrant who had agreed to steer the boat in exchange for a free crossing, was jailed last year after being found guilty of the manslaughter of those who drowned.

The identity of one of the men is still unknown while the others were Mohamed Lamine Toure, 27, a student from Guinea, and Moussa Kouyae, 18, also a student from Guinea.

The death of the fourth man who drowned, Hejratullah Ahmadi, from Afghanistan, was not dealt with at this inquest. One other person on the boat remains missing.

The coroner heard the boat was "clearly poorly constructed" and "totally unsuitable" for the journey.

Senior coroner for Kent Patricia Harding said: "This was a tragic incident which should never have occurred."

She said the fact 39 people were rescued by a passing fishing boat and the RNLI was "remarkable".

Freezing conditions

Det Insp Ross Gurden from Kent Police told the inquest the boat had set off from France shortly after midnight on 14 December.

As it began to sink it was spotted "by sheer luck" by the crew of British fishing vessel Arcturus, who went to help.

He said the sea was calm but freezing conditions hampered the rescue which involved the RNLI, Border Force and Royal Navy.

The boat's stitched seams had ripped and the floor became separated from the sides, Det Insp Gurden told the inquest.

Police carried out extensive investigations to identify the men who died but were unable to find out the identity of one of them.

The coroner said each of the men "tragically drowned" during "a small boat migration crossing from France".

Ibrahima Bah was jailed last year after being found guilty of the manslaughter of those who drowned