Police and forensic officers in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies of Vietnamese migrants were found inside a lorry in October 2019. VNA/VNS Photo

 A 23-year-old man from Northern Ireland was due to appear in court in England later today (UK time) charged in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants.

Caolan Gormley, 23, of Caledon, County Tyrone, will answer a charge of conspiracy to assist illegal immigration.

He is scheduled to appear at Southend Magistrate’s Court in Essex 11am Wednesday, UK time.

Essex Police made the announcement on Tuesday evening, but due to court proceedings getting underway, no further details were released.

In January, seven men were jailed for a total of more than 92 years in connection with the 39 Vietnamese citizens found dead at the back of a lorry in the United Kingdom in October 2019.

Ronan Hughes, 41 and Gheorghe Nica, 43, were leading figures in the people smuggling operation. They were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively.

Lorry driver Eamon Harrison, 24, was given 18 years and fellow driver Maurice Robinson, 26, 13 years and four months.

Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, was jailed for seven years; Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, for four-and-a-half years; and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, was given a three-year sentence. — VNS