Thread by @JEMilneSky

Returning to the Old Bailey for the continuation of the trial in relation to the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals found dead in the back of a lorry in Essex in 2019. Yesterday Eamonn Harrison began giving his evidence. Harrison is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter.

Returning to the events of the 22nd October, Mr Williamson QC - representing Mr Harrison - shows the jury a map of Bierne recording the location of Harrison's lorry just before 0900 that morning.

At 0921 the lorry is in the same location in which two taxis are seen to arrive on CCTV and then a third at 0927 on Route de Socx. At 0944 data shows Harrison moving for the first time that day to Chemin Noold Straete.

Ronan told Harrison there was going to be a load of stolen goods and that he was to go and meet "Alex" hence his movement into Chemin Noold Straete, says Harrison.

Between 0948 and 1014 Harrison says he was just sitting on his own - in his cab - waiting for "Alex". The jury are now being shown CCTV footage of two taxis arriving followed by Harrison's lorry. Harrison says he "had nothing to do with that taxi".

The jury are now being shown CCTV footage of Harrison's lorry turning around and returning back down Chemin Noold Straete. Harrison is seen on foot in more CCTV walking away from his lorry.

Harrison says the last time he saw "Alex" before the 22nd was on the 14th October. On the 17th he had just seen his white lorry. On the morning on the morning of the 22nd Harrison says he did not see "Alex".

Harrison is away from his lorry for around 9 minutes on the morning of the 22nd. The jury are now being shown CCTV that shows Harrison returning to his lorry at 1029.

At 1040 Harrison can be seen on CCTV driving onto the Route de Socx. Harrison says he sees, on the CCTV, that the ladders are down on the back of his lorry as he pulls out onto the Route de Socx. When we saw the lorry earlier, they were not pulled down.

Harrison says the ladders are stored in various places depending on the lorry type. Mr Williamson QC asks if you want to get into the back of the lorry, how do I get the ladders? Harrison says they're under the lorry and you just slide them out.

Harrison says he wouldn't normally drive with his ladders down, as seen in the CCTV. The next map shows Harrison moving in a South East direction. Harrison says he pulled into a nearby layby to set up Google maps on his phone.

Court breaks for 20 minutes.

Returning from the break the jury are being shown CCTV of Harrison arriving at a truck stop in Bierne. Whilst watching the CCTV Harrison says he's noticed the ladders are down at the back of his lorry.

On the CCTV Harrison can be seen getting out of the cab of the lorry and walking into the shop. Harrison can be seen entering wearing his "distinctive jacket". An alternative CCTV angle shows Harrison buying some water and snacks.

Harrison confirms he always wears his glasses. The CCTV shows him leaving the shop and returning to his lorry. Harrison says you wouldn't drive with your ladders down because "you're just asking to be pulled over, it's an offence".

Before entering the port of Zeebrugge, Harrison turns around and heads to a nearby petrol station. Harrison explains he doesn't have his reference before he drives into the port.

Harrison can be seen entering the shop at the petrol station, he buys a can of Redbull. Harrison explains he was going to get his reference from Ronan, who was to send it to him via WhatsApp.

At 1440 Ronan text Harrison. Harrison says he thinks that was the address he was going to be sent to. Harrison says he spent the evening in Holland.

At 0152 Ronan Hughes leaves Harrison a voicemail - by this time the 39 have been discovered in the back of the lorry in Essex. A call connects at 0822 the next day from Ronan Hughes to Harrison. Ronan called Harrison to say he had heard from Robinson.

Harrison says Ronan did not tell him what had happened. Harrison says he had not heard from Robinson. Just over an hour later Harrison receives two calls, he says from friends.

Friends had got in touch to ask if he had seen "Mo's lorry on the news", Harrison explains. He adds he thinks his friends got in touch on Whatsapp or snapchat or any other social media - though the phone records don't show any contact at this time.

Harrison says when he spoke to Hughes about what had happened, that wasn't the first time he had heard about it. He says he heard it from his friends and then looked at it on the internet.

Harrison says he was shocked. He says he did not understand what had happened. Harrison says he did not associate any of his actions with what had happened. He says he didn't know what to think when asked what he thought had happened.

The morning after the 22nd, Harrison was set to meet a driver in France to pick up some tiles.

Harrison decided to abandon the pick up in France and boarded a ferry to start making his way home. He says at this point "reality started to hit" he says he realised that was the trailer he had shipped "I realised I had done something".

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking straight, I just listened" Harrison says of a conversation with Hughes. Harrison says the plan was to meet up with mum and dad and then go to a police station. Harrison says that's not what happened, he was arrested coming off the boat.

Harrison was taken to prison and placed in the mental health unit, he says. He explains he was placed there because of a threat to his life. He adds he has never been in a situation like this before - the mental health wing of a prison.

When asked what it is like, Harrison says "I wouldn't recommend it. I just kept to myself, I wouldn't mix with anyone." He was later moved from mental health unit to segregation. Harrison says he was not told by the Irish police where the threat to his life came from.

He says he was told not to go home, to stay in different places and to take different routes all the time. When asked where he thought the threat to his life came from, he says according to the guards it sounded like it came from a gang.

He says he took the threat to his life seriously. In total it took 7/8 months for Harrison to be extradited. He says he contested the extradition "on the advice of my solicitors".

Harrison says he was moved to the protection wing during the last month of his incarceration in the Irish prison.

9th Sep 2020 Harrison serves a defence case statement. That first statement did not include the details the jury have just heard, says Harrison. He adds he buried his head in the sand, that he wasn't involved.

He did not say anything about being involved in stolen goods, he did not admit to any criminality in that first statement. He thinks he mentioned someone in the cab with him.

Harrison says it was made clear to him the importance of that document. He says he was very aware that he should tell the truth in that document but "I was scared, I just wanted to bury my head in the sand.

I didn't know who was who, what's what. I'd just been told there was a threat on my life". He serves a second defence statement a month later. Harrison says he told "the entire truth" in that statement. He said seeing how upset his mum was getting made him change his mind.

He says he couldn't put his mum through having to read about what he was supposed to have done. Harrison says he had no idea about what he was getting himself involved in.

Harrison says he did not agree with Hughes to put human beings in the back of his trailer - to pay off his debt to Hughes.

Bill Emlyn Jones for the prosecution rises to question Mr Harrison. Court breaks for an early lunch break to recommence at 1330.

Returning from lunch Bill Emlyn Jones begins address Mr Harrison - "I didn't know there were any people in my lorry" EJ says is the heart of Harrison's defence "I thought I was involved in smuggling stolen lorry parts".

Those two things are absolutely crucial to your defence, says Emlyn Jones. Harrison agrees. Harrison accepted that his first defence statement was not an honest account. Harrison said he was just burying his head in the sand.

There are 11 pages of information about Harrison's case in the defence statement. Emlyn Jones say there is not a word, not a breath about stolen lorry parts. Harrison agrees.

"The defendant acted on each occasion under the direction of Hughes. And the defendant had no reason to question or doubt Hughes's motives" Emlyn Jones reads the defence statement...

..."as far as the defendant was concerned each trip had a legitimate purpose and concerned the movement of legitimate cargo" Harrison admits that was a lie. "I didn't know what was going on... I'm in a corner." says Harrison.

"The crown are put to strict proof that there were any immigrants in the trailer under the control of the defendants save the trailer 21st Oct 2019" says the defence statements. Harrison says I still didn't believe there were any migrants in the trailer on those dates.

I didn't believe at that stage that there were migrants in that trailer, says Harrison. He agrees he did not believe on the 10th and 17th there were migrants in his trailer, this from a defence statement taken on the 6th Sep 2020.

Emlyn Jones says in that document Harrison "carefully considered and committed to writing a detailed but false defence." Harrison says he was not in a place where he felt "he could mention" that he was involved in stolen lorry parts.

Harrison agrees he said he felt shocked when he discovered there were 39 migrants on board and that he felt devastated for their families. Harrison says he understands in EJ's case that he shut them in his trailer and that he was the last person to see them alive.

Harrison says he did not see them. Harrison said he would still feel shite whether he shut the door or not - "I didn't shut the door, I didn't know they were there". Harrison says he didn't know people were dead when they died. He found out the next day.

"I was in shock initially" when he heard the news. He said he felt devastated to their families when he realised it was the same trailer. Harrison agrees he found out about the news on the 23rd Oct.

He says he was in shock and "you know, it doesn't hit you straight away. It took me a while to comprehend what had happened."

"That was my plan, when I came off the boat I was going to the police but I was arrested and told there was a threat on my life" says Harrison.

EJ says if you had been devastated for those families and wanted those families to know the truth about what had happened, you could have done that couldn't you? "All I knew was that I took the trailer to the port" says Harrison.

EJ says you could have said to the police I have important information to give about those poor dead Vietnamese people. Harrison says "I had never been in that situation".

Harrison's extradition contest was denied, he appealed, ultimately he was extradited. EJ says that is the only reason why we're hearing anything from Harrison. "I was sitting in a cell being told there was a threat on my life, so excuse me for not wanting to talk" says Harrison.

EJ asks if Harrison felt devastated for the families when he was extradited to the UK - "obviously" he answers. He was offered the opportunity of an interview when he arrived in the UK, he declined. He said because he didn't have his solicitor with him.

EJ says Harrison's first chance to set the record straight is when he provides his defence statement. Harrison repeats "I was told there was a threat on my life, I'm sorry I was put in a position where I felt I couldn't talk".

EJ puts it to Harrison that his first statement didn't mention the stolen goods because he was hoping to get off. Harrison says that is not the case.

The second defence statement was provided on the 1st October, 4 days before the trial. EJ says this is when for the first time Harrison mentions these lorry parts. Harrison agrees.

EJ says Witness X was in Harrison's lorry on the 10th Oct. Harrison says yes from what I've seen. EJ says Witness X's statement hadn't been served at the time of the earlier defence statement and suggests that witness statement changed things.

Harrison says he hadn't had enough time with his solicitor to create a bond that made him comfortable talking to his solicitor.

Harrison says "in my first defence statement there are points that are dishonest".

Harrison says he was not going to Bierne on the 17th Oct, he was going to Calais. The jury are now being shown a map with tracking data that shows Harrison in Bierne.

"I never came up with anything, I told the truth" says Harrison. EJ asks, on the afternoon of the 17th Oct, remind us what you were saying in the first defence statement - Harrison received a call on the 17th from Hughes telling him to go to Zeebrugge.

EJ turns Harrison's attention to the messages exchanged between Robinson and Hughes. At which time Harrison is travelling to Nieppe.

"Look, yes I lied in the first defence statement" says Harrison. He adds "there is no denying that." Turning to Harrison's second defence statement EJ reads "the defendant accepts the account has materially changed since his first statement...

... because the defendant was afraid to admit being in involved in any dishonest activity and fearful of implicating others in what he now knows is a people trafficking operation."

EJ says you couldn't be prosecuted for handling stolen goods could you? Because there weren't any. Harrison said he didn't know that at the time. EJ says you're not getting in trouble for committing an act that didn't take place...

"If I admit that I was involved in stolen lorry parts I would then implicate other people and I had been told there was a threat on my life so yes I was extremely fearful... I did not know who Alex is." Is Ronan Hughes someone you were reluctant to implicate? No, says Harrison

on 28 Aug before first defence statement, Ronan Hughes pleaded guilty to all 40 charges that Harrison faces. He says he was still in denial over what Ronan had done and it was only when Ronan pleaded guilty that he realised Ronan was "knee deep" in this.

"What is the truth?" asks Harrison. Who are you implicating in your second defence statement asks EJ. "I'm assuming it was Alex but I wasn't there to see who did or didn't shut the door... on any of the days... on the 22nd I don't know who he was".

EJ says on your case, there is a mysterious man that you have never seen before, waiting in a field, "I don't know his name", you have never given a description of him, how have you implicated him asks EJ. "I have not been in this situation before" says Harrison.

Does he even exists asks EJ, "yes he does" says Harrison. Harrison says it is not just about this man. EJ says this is also about Alex or the "Romo" as you call him. Harrison agrees. Harrison named him in his first defence statement, "I just mentioned him as a mechanic"

In a statement served in March the person Harrison known as "Alex" was named as the man who travelled with Harrison. EJ says as a reason not to tell the truth in his first defence statement was not keeping Alex a secret one of his considerations.

EJ says there is no reason why you couldn't havce given that account on the 9th of September in your first account. "There was a hit on my life... I don't think you've ever been in a situation where you have been told there is a hit on your life, have you?"

"I wish it would be as simple as that" says Harrison. EJ says you could have kept your phone couldn't you? Harrison says "I should have kept my phone".

Harrison repeats "I only had one phone". He agrees he would use WhatsApp and snapchat to communicate. EJ says given you say that Ronan Hughes was directing you, those messages would be highly relevant wouldn't they? Harrison says Ronan's messages would just be "go and meet..."

If you had done nothing to contribute to the death of those migrants, why did you get rid of your phone? "Because I was told to" says Harrison. "It's okay looking back now and thinking why did I do that but at the time I wasn't thinking right".

Why did you do? "Because I was told to" repeats Harrison. EJ asks did you ask why should I throw it away? "Because I was handling stolen lorry parts" says Harrison "I didn't even think about asking why when I was told to throw it away".

When he told you, says EJ, to throw the phone away did you not wonder why I should do that? "I didn't, I wish I had but I didn't".

The jury are now being shown a screenshot of a snapchat message sent from Ronan Hughes to Maurice Robinson that says "give them air quickly don't let them out" and then a thumbs up from Robinson in response.

Harrison is being asked about the other drivers Ronan Hughes had working for him. He can't recall all their names. Harrison agrees that on the night on the crossing it seems Hughes knew there was a problem with air in the trailer.

"That's Mo Robinson, my name is Eamonn Harrison" says Harrison. "I'm no Mo Robinson". EJ says Mo knew what was in the lorry didn't he? "Yes, I'm not Mo Robinson" says Harrison. The only reason we have this message is because we have Mo's phone says EJ.

And suggests that we would have similar on Harrison's phone if we had it. Harrison says no. EJ says people smugglers need to know how many people they are smuggling don't they? Harrison says "I don't know I'm not a people smuggler".

Harrison says people were being loaded onto his trailer by "Alex" without his knowledge. Harrison agrees that Hughes and Alex are spinning him a line about stolen lorry parts. Harrison says it "would seem" "Alex" is a people smuggler. "Look, I told the truth" says Harrison.

He is with you in the cab in the day of the 10th, do you remember him being on the phone all the time? Harrison says yes, he was on the phone a bit. "I assumed he was on the phone to his wife. he was talking about his wife".

"When he was on the phone he wasn't speaking English" says Harrison. Harrison agrees "Alex" knew where and when he had to be for the people smuggling. EJ says all the while that is happening, you are being kept in the dark? Yes, says Harrison.

EJ says you were in debt to Ronan Hughes, 50,000 euros plus. Would you agree with me that if it came to you doing something for him, he has you over a barrel doesn't he? "Yes but stolen lorry parts and people are two completely different things."

Did you know Hughes was involved in criminal activity? No, I didn't says Harrison - not at all. Harrison said it was the first he heard of Ronan being involved in people smuggling in this trial.

Harrison worked for Ronan Hughes since March 2018. He met other people who drive for English and Irish haulier and it never came to your attention that your boss was widely known as being involved? "He was known as a well established haulier" says Harrison.

EJ says so when he came to you and asked you to commit a crime how did you feel? "I wasn't happy about it. I owed him money. I didn't feel [I had a choice]". Court breaks for 20 minutes.

Returning from the break Emlyn Jones says when Hughes came to Harrison to help him with his criminal activity, he rang you on a withheld number and remind us why? "Because I was avoiding his calls" says Harrison because he owed him money.

Harrison agrees he was in no position to play hard ball with Hughes when he called him. Harrison says Hughes chose to mislead/trick him. EJ says what Harrison was getting roped into was an important cog in the wheel of a people smuggling operation - "without my knowledge, yes"

"I wouldn't be involved in cigarette smuggling" says Harrison. But he knew it would happen. Harrison says he wouldn't have smuggled cigarettes or alcohol. "I don't know what he thought, all I know is that he liked me".

He did not tell Harrison he was bringing in Vietnamese migrants, says Harrison. EJ says why wouldn't he just have been straight with you? "I don't know, you'd have to asked him, he wasn't straight with me and if he had I would have told him to F off".

EJ says but with stolen lorry parts... "I agreed to it" says Harrison. EJ says, because you had no choice. You cost him tens of thousands of euros. Harrison says he still would have said no to migrants, tobacoo or booze.

Harrison says "he says he should have had insurance on the trailer and he didn't so he should bare some of the responsibility for it". Hence why he reduced the amount Harrison owed, says Harrison.

"I wouldn't know how much money he was making" says Harrison. EJ says enough to wipe your debt from 50,000 to 16,000 and he's going to pay you every time you work. "I don't know how much money was being made" says Harrison.

"I told him I didn't want anything to do with it" says Harrison. "It took me 2 days to say yes". "I would have said no straight out" if Hughes had asked Harrison to smuggle people.

"I wouldn't call it negotiating. I told him I wanted nothing to do with it and he said look I just need you to drive the truck top the border... I was took for a fool" says Harrison.

From the start of this business it's agreed you would take a walk asks EJ "I didn't want anything to do with it" says Harrison. EJ says, you're aware that people smuggling is a thing, yes? Harrison says "it's been on the news, it's something that goes on".

"I wouldn't know" if it was a long established practice says Harrison. On the 9th May 2018 a load of migrants were found in Harrison's trailer, says EJ. "Migrants were found on top of a load I was carrying" says Harrison. He confirms he was working for Hughes.

The migrants found in that trailer were Vietnamese. "I think I took a load out of Sweden, I could be wrong on this, could have been in Belgium or Germany and then I took 9 hours off and travelled on to the port".

The seal on the back of the trailer had been broken and glued back together, who did that asks EJ? "I haven't a clue" says Harrison. How are they going to get out asks EJ? "I haven't a clue."

"4,000 migrants sneak into lorries each year" says Harrison. "Do you not think maybe they had been lied to" when EJ says about the migrants paying for the VIP trip when the driver knows they are there.

Lets assume they don't get detected, you get to Kent with them, says EJ, it is only when you open the doors - "it would only have been when I made the delivery that I would open the doors, when I would have realised they were there" says Harrison.

"I haven't a clue, I'm not Ronan Hughes" when asked how Ronan Hughes works. EJ says when Hughes comes to you in 2019, why wouldn't he feel able to tell you the truth about the business he is roping you into?

"You would have to ask him that, I wouldn't trust me. I'm drunk, I've rolled lorries. I wouldn't trust me" says Harrison. EJ says what's going to happen to the migrants if you have a crash?

"I didn't know they were in there, it wouldn't have been the smartest thing, but I wouldn't have put them in there. I didn't know they were in there." He adds "I'm unreliable, I don't even know why he would put me in a position like that".

Why didn't he tell you the truth says EJ? "Because he took me for a fool" says Harrison. What would you have done if you'd found out asks EJ? "I wouldn't have taken the trailer to the port". Would you have gone to the police? "Honestly, I don't think I would".

"But I definitely wouldn't have taken the trailer to the port. I would have turfed them out. I would have assumed Ronan didn't know they were there and then I would have turfed them out" says Harrison.

"I'm not on board" [with Harrison]. Why would he take that risk asks EJ? "You'd have to ask Ronan Hughes not Eamonn Harrison" says Harrison.

How long were you supposed to go for a walk for asks EJ? "10 or 15 minute minutes I was told" says Harrison. "I was told to just go away from the truck". What's to stop you being able to see what they're Doing? "That's his risk, I was told to walk away."

"I'm not as nosey as other people" says Harrison. "There was nothing to stop me from doing that [keeping an eye] but I didn't" says Harrison.

EJ says I'm suggesting Mr Harrison that you're lying to us because what you're saying doesn't make sense at all. "How does it not make sense?" asks Harrison.

Harrison is then asked what the lorry parts were that he was transporting. Harrison explains its the side skirts and lights, they're stolen all the time, Harrison says.

EJ says you're interested in lorries aren't you, you would want to have a look wouldn't you? "No, I've seen headlights, they're not that interesting". EJ asks how are they loaded in? "I don't know" says Harrison.

"I don't know, Alex was there" says Harrison. "I don't know where the parts are coming from". They wouldn't fit in a taxi would they says EJ? "They might... I didn't see no taxis. I didn't put them in so I don't know".

Harrison says when he met Hughes at the time, he told him what he was going to be smuggling. EJ says Hughes has gone to the trouble of making up a particular type of lorry part... "They are lorry parts that are commonly stolen so it was believable to me".

You're told to take your walk on the 10th Oct, says EJ, but we know you've been on the 9th Oct stopping briefing in La Chapelle - though he doesn't remember stopping - then you went to Nieppe for 8 minutes. "He was showing me where he wanted me to go the next day" says Harrison

On the 10th Harrison is stationary in Nieppe for 4 minutes and 44 seconds. Harrison says he left the keys with him, "so maybe it was moved... I got out of it and it was moved after that". EJ says fairly quickly you're in Belgium with your new load in the back.

EJ says we know something about that stop because of Witness X, he says the truck drove up and the driver got out and the driver loaded him in. Harrison says but you said this was in Nieppe. EJ explains I'm asking about what happened in Nieppe.

Returning to Witness X, he said the driver loaded him in and you were the driver weren't you? "Not at that time no" says Alex. So this is when you went for your walk says EJ? "Yes."

"It had been turned around" when asked where the trailer had moved to. EJ says Witness X described the driver as English "I'm not English" says Harrison. He looked an sounded English said Witness X.

When asked how good Alex's English was, Harrison says, quite good. But in his first statement he said Alex spoke limited English so communication was awkward. "Alex spoke fine enough English" says Harrison.

EJ says Witness X could tell the difference between the English guy and the Europe guy. The driver was English, said Witness X.

EJ asks how would you describe your physique? "A wee bit rounder then" says Harrison. EJ says, Witness X said "a little bit fat". Harrison says "I'm a lot fat there and the man next to me isn't much smaller than me is he... he's like the same build".

Witness X says the same person came to the doors a little while after the initial pick up and gave them some water and some bags in which to urinate. He also said they were given an instruction that when they got the signal...

, a knock on the side of the container they had to huddle together in the middle of the container. Does that have the feeling of a tried and tested method? "I don't know" says Harrison.

EJ now turns to the stop at Lissewegge on the 10th, that would be the perfect opportunity for the knock wouldn't it? "I wouldn't know" says Harrison.

Harrison stopped there on the 10th, 19th and the 22nd. On the 10th Harrison says "Alex" would have been sitting in the passenger seat of the lorry before reaching the port of Zeebrugge. There was another petrol station that he got out at to call his wife.

On 17th Oct EJ says Harrison again goes to Zeebrugge with migrants in his trailer "It would seem that way, yes" says Harrison. On that date Harrison confirms he was on his own.

There is a stop just before you get to Zeebrugge on the 17th just as on the 10th. Harrison agrees. Harrison maintains he is only stopping at traffic lights, that's all the stop is.

On the 22nd Oct Harrison arrives at the port but doesn't have the reference number so he turns around and heads to the truck stop.

EJ asks is it the case you came here to give the signal? "That is not the case" says Harrison. EJ asks if that is the tried and tested method - "I don't know what you mean, tried and tested method" says Harrison.

"I didn't know they were there. They have obviously been lied to" says Harrison. Emlyn Jones concludes for this afternoon. Court returns 1100 tomorrow.