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Jury out in lorry deaths trial

MAIDSTONE, England -- The jury in the trial of a Dutch lorry driver accused of the deaths of 58 Chinese immigrants whose bodies were found in a lorry has retired to consider its verdict.

Sixty Chinese people tried to illegally enter Britain hidden in the back of a sealed lorry container laden with tomatoes which arrived in a ferry at Dover, in Kent, on June 18 last year.

Port officials found the dead bodies of 54 men and four women when they inspected the lorry at Dover's eastern docks.

Two men survived the journey.

Those who died suffocated after the only air vent on the side of the lorry was closed, allegedly by the driver, for the five-hour ferry crossing from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

Perry Wacker, 33, of Rotterdam, is charged with 58 counts of manslaughter, and conspiracy to smuggle people into Britain.

Chinese translator Ying Guo, 30, of South Woodford, Essex, is also charged with conspiracy to smuggle immigrants into Britain.

They both deny all charges.

The prosecution has alleged that Guo was the immigrants' contact in this country and helped organise their arrival and bogus asylum applications.

The jury was today sent out on Tuesday after the six-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent.



RELATED STORIES:
Driver of immigrant death truck makes first British court appearance
June 23, 2000
British police charge truck driver in deaths of 58 Chinese
June 22, 2000
Dutch police make arrest in deadly immigrant smuggling case
June 20, 2000

RELATED SITES:
Port of Dover
UK Immigration Office
Maidstone Crown Court

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