Essex lorry deaths: Eamonn Harrison extradition hearing resumes
- Published
Eamonn Harrison is to face 39 manslaughter charges and two conspiracy charges
A barrister for a lorry driver wanted over the deaths of 39 people in a refrigerated container has said there is nothing to say he placed them on the truck.
The remarks came at the extradition hearing of Eamonn Harrison, from County Down, at Dublin's High Court.
The 23-year-old is to face 39 manslaughter charges and two of conspiracy.
The 39 bodies were found in a refrigerated container in October.
Police are seeking the extradition of Mr Harrison from the Republic of Ireland, where he is being held.
Eamonn Harrison was arrested in Dublin on a European Arrest Warrant
His conspiracy charges are connected to human trafficking and assisting unlawful immigration.
Mr Harrison's barrister Siobhan Stack SC said there was nothing in the extradition warrant to point to manslaughter because of negligence or a dangerous act on his part.
She added there was nothing to say there were people on the truck while he was in control of it or that he knew there were people in it.
Ms Stack said there is nothing to say that the 39 died in the UK.
She added that the time, place and cause of death are not yet known saying there is some evidence some were still alive when entering the UK.
There's not enough information to return him to face a manslaughter charge, she continued.
'Too rushed'
The manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The High Court heard at a previous hearing that the UK's extradition warrant was too rushed.
Mr Harrison was wrongly described as a British rather than an Irish citizen.
The court was told that he drove the lorry used to deliver a container to the port of Zeebrugge and was identified as doing so in Belgium by CCTV footage.
The court also heard that he signed the shipping notice for the container which was later found with the 39 bodies inside.
Lawyers for Eamonn Harrison raised the question as to why if his alleged offences occurred in Belgium the UK was seeking his extradition.
'Thin in the extreme'
His lawyers also added that their primary objection to his extradition is that the information in his European Arrest Warrant is provided by the Crown Prosecution Service rather than the judicial authority.
They have described the warrant as "thin in the extreme".
Judge Donald Binchy gave both sides until Thursday to provide additional information.
The High Court in Dublin previously heard that Mr Harrison was "a man of modest means".
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