Offaly man arrested in relation to Essex lorry tragedy

A man arrested on Friday morning in connection with Wednesday's Essex lorry tragedy is originally from Offaly, the Offaly Express can reveal.

The man, 38, was arrested along with his wife, also 38, in Warrington, Cheshire, shortly after 5am on Friday morning, October 25. The couple were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of 39 counts of manslaughter, according to Essex Police. 

The arrests relate to the discovery of 39 bodies in the container of a lorry at Waterglade Industrial Park in Essex in the early hours of Wednesday morning, October 23. Essex Police responded to the scene at 1.40am on Wednesday following the discovery.

The man is a native of Clara and has lived in the UK for a considerable number of years. Sources have confirmed that most of his family still live locally in Clara.

Police are now trying to piece together the circumstances leading to the tragedy. Essex Police have also confirmed the arrest of a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland at Stansted Airport on Friday, also on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of manslaughter.

The 25-year-old truck driver arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder remains in custody, Essex Police said on Friday evening.

The Offaly native arrested on Friday was detained along with his wife after police carried out warrants in Cheshire as part of the investigation.

It's understood he is a haulage boss and that they had been the owners of the cab of the truck involved in the investigation. They have claimed to reporters that they sold it to an Irish company late last year, according to The Guardian.

The Metro in the UK has reported that the pair, who remain in custody, said they sold the cab in October 2018 and had voluntarily gone to the police themselves.

In a statement on Friday, Deputy Chief Constable of Essex Police, Pippa Mills, said: “This is a fast-moving investigation involving significant police resources dedicated to finding out the truth about what happened to the 39 people found dead in the lorry on Wednesday.

“I’d like to start by addressing the amount of speculation in the media and on social media surrounding our investigation.

“We owe it to those who have died to get this investigation right and speculation is not helpful. It may, in fact, hinder our investigation and its progress.

“The force will not be commenting on any speculation about the nationalities of those who have tragically lost their lives.

“I strongly urge journalists and people on social media not to speculate about the identities of those involved or the circumstances surrounding this investigation.

“We gave an initial steer on Thursday on nationality however this is now a developing picture. As such I will not be drawn on any further detail until formal identification processes approved by Her Majesty’s Coroner have taken place.

“I can confirm we have officers working around the clock and we have now arrested a fourth person.

“A 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland was arrested at Stansted Airport earlier today on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of manslaughter.

“It follows the arrests of a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Warrington during warrants executed in Cheshire overnight. They are currently in custody also on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of manslaughter.

“A 25-year-old man arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder remains in custody.

“We are working closely with the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.

“We have begun the process of transporting the victims from the Port of Tilbury to the mortuary at Broomfield Hospital. Formal identification processes will take place as well as the examinations to establish the causes of their deaths.

“This process is likely to be a lengthy one, but it is crucial, and we’re working with Her Majesty’s Coroner to ensure the dignity of the victims and the respect for their loved ones is at the forefront of our investigation.

“I’m acutely aware of the international interest in this case and the appetite for information.

“We will provide more updates as and when we can.

Police continue work to identify the victims.