People Smuggler Gets Extra Jail for Unpaid Compensation

Haulage Boss Jailed for 20 Years Now Faces Additional 16 Months

A haulage boss already serving 20 years for his role in the deaths of 39 migrants has had his sentence extended due to his failure to pay substantial compensation to the victims’ families.

Additional Prison Time Imposed

Ronan Hughes, 45, who was jailed in 2021 for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese individuals found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex, must now serve an extra 1 year and 4 months. The court ordered the additional sentence after Hughes failed to meet the £182,000 compensation order handed down in 2024.

The migrants, aged between 15 and 44, tragically died in extreme heat within an airtight container during a journey from Zeebrugge, Belgium, to Purfleet, Essex, on October 22, 2019.

Prosecution’s Stance

Heather Chalk, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), stated that Hughes “led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people.” She added:

“It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness.”

—Heather Chalk, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS

The CPS confirmed that the proceeds of crime division initiated the application for the additional sentence due to the outstanding balance on the confiscation order.

Broader Criminal Network

Hughes has paid just over £58,000 towards the confiscation order, leaving a deficit of more than £127,000, including accrued interest, as of Tuesday. This case highlights the financial penalties associated with human trafficking operations; in 2022, a global crackdown on human trafficking resulted in over 1,000 arrests and the recovery of over $13 million in illicit funds (Interpol, 2023).

Other Convictions

Alongside Hughes, four other individuals received significant prison sentences ranging from 13 to 27 years for their involvement in the 39 deaths. These include:

• Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48
• Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, identified as Nica’s second-in-command
• Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, who discovered the bodies
• Eamonn Harrison, 28, who collected the victims on the continent

Collectively, defendants have been ordered to pay over £283,000 in ill-gotten gains as compensation to the families of those who perished.