Lawyer raises jurisdiction issues in extradition hearing of man facing charges over deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals

Ronan Hughes, from Silverstream, Tyholland in Co Monaghan, appeared before the High Court in Dublin via videolink.

He faces 39 charges of manslaughter and a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants found in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex.

Hughes was arrested in Co Monaghan in April by police in the Republic of Ireland in response to a European Arrest Warrant.

A bail hearing in Dublin heard last month that Hughes was “the ringleader and organiser” of the people-smuggling plot.

The 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in a lorry container parked on an industrial estate in Grays on October 23 last year.

Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead.

It is alleged the migrants had been brought into the UK illegally by Mr Hughes and his co-conspirators.

UK authorities say they died on UK territory while being transported from Belgium and have therefore claimed they have jurisdiction to prosecute.

Remy Farrell, senior counsel for Hughes, told the court it is not clear whether the alleged offences took place in the UK.

Mr Farrell said the European Arrest Warrant itself contains a narrative of the offences which are alleged to have occurred in France, Belgium, the UK and Ireland.

“The State seems to adopt the position that an offence is either extra territorial or not, whereas a more nuanced approach is required,” he said.

“It is not a simple cases of defining something as being extra territorial or territorial, it is not an either/or scenario.”

“When you look at the facts, it is clear that there is a trans-national series of alleged crimes that occurred in different countries.”

Ronan Kennedy SC, for the State, told the court it is “abundantly clear” the offence alleged to have been committed by Hughes occurred within the UK and it has jurisdiction.

Mr Kennedy said the arguments around “extra-territoriality” are a “red herring”, and that Mr Farrell was engaging in “fanciful debate”.

“Mr Farrell’s argument does not even get off the starting blocks,” he added.

The judge fixed June 12 as the date for the full hearing of Hughes extradition case.