Essex lorry deaths: Driver Mo Robinson appears in court on manslaughter and people trafficking charges

Defendant, 25, did not enter plea and is due to appear at Old Bailey in November

A lorry driver has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of 39 people found dead in a container in Essex.

Maurice Robinson, 25, from Northern Ireland, faces charges of manslaughter, money laundering, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to traffic people.

Magistrates in Chelmsford remanded him in custody following a video-link hearing on Monday morning.

Mr Robinson was not asked to indicate a plea and will next appear at the Old Bailey on 25 November for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

The defendant was arrested soon after the bodies of eight women and 31 men were found in the refrigerated trailer attached to his Scania cab in an industrial park in Grays on 23 October.

Another man wanted in connection with the investigation was arrested at Dublin port on Saturday.

Gardai said the man, who is in his early 20s and also from Northern Ireland, was held over an unrelated outstanding court order.

He is understood to be of interest to Essex Police as part of their probe, and the force confirmed officers were in contact with Irish police.

Three other people arrested over the deaths remain in custody.

A 48-year-old Northern Irish man was arrested at Stansted airport on Friday on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. A couple, from Warrington but originally from the Republic of Ireland, are being detained on suspicion of manslaughter and people-trafficking.

After first saying all the victims were Chinese, Essex Police have now said they believe a number of Vietnamese people were among the dead. VietHome, a website for expatriates in the UK, has sent photos of some 20 missing Vietnamese citizens to investigators.

Additional reporting by Press Association