Essex lorry deaths accused 'roped into people smuggling'

The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October last year

A man accused over the deaths of 39 migrants who were found in a lorry trailer told jurors he "never wanted to be involved" in people smuggling.

The Old Bailey heard Gheorge Nica denies any role in the deaths of the Vietnamese nationals, who were found in Grays, Essex, in October 2019.

Mr Nica said he had been roped into people smuggling and "I never wanted to be involved in this kind of job".

Mr Nica, of Basildon, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison deny manslaughter.

The migrants, aged 15 to 44, suffocated in a sealed trailer en route from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet, and were found dead on 23 October, the court heard.

Mr Nica, 43, has admitted a role in people-smuggling on two previous occasions, but denies having anything to do with the 39 migrants' deaths, jurors have been told.

Irish haulier boss Ronan Hughes, 41, and lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 26, have previously admitted manslaughter.

Giving evidence, Mr Nica said on 10 October he had been approached by Mr Hughes to provide a "couple of cars".

He told jurors: "I thought cigarettes. I never (thought) anything else. He told me (to) deliver some people."

Aftab Jafferjee QC, defending, asked: "Did you have any idea before then he was involved in anything like this?"

Mr Nica replied: "No. I was surprised. I knew him for a long time. I said 'I'll let you know'. I did not know what to do. I never gave him a straight answer."

The bodies were discovered when the container was opened at Purfleet in Essex

On 11 October, Mr Nica and a friend picked up about 10 migrants from a trailer at Orsett and drove them to an address in London, the court heard.

Five days later Mr Nica said Mr Hughes approached him to help with transporting people again.

The defendant said because Mr Hughes had previously given him £5,000 he felt he owned him.

"I never wanted to be involved in this kind of job. Because he came himself from Ireland and me and him face-to-face, it's different," Mr Nica said.

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mr Nica carrying a holdall full of cash to Mr Hughes's room at the Ibis hotel in Thurrock early on 19 October.

Mr Nica said an acquaintance had asked him to take the bag containing about £50,000 for him while he sat in the hotel bar with Mr Robinson.

Mr Nica said he told Mr Hughes it was the "last time" he would help him.

He went on say that he thought Mr Robinson must have had an "expensive load" of alcohol or cigarettes when he asked if he could park in the Orsett yard at 01:00 on 23 October.

Mr Nica said: "To my mind he needs 1am to go with that trailer to my yard to try to shift some loads, to do something with the load, that why he needs night time. In my mind it's going to be expensive load."

Mr Nica has denied 39 counts of manslaughter, along with Mr Harrison, 23, of County Down.

Mr Harrison, lorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, of County Armagh, and Valentin Calota, 37, of Birmingham, have denied being part of a wider people-smuggling conspiracy, which Mr Nica has admitted to.

The trial continues.