A Co Armagh lorry driver, jailed for his role in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in an airtight container in Essex in 2019, will serve out the remainder of his sentence in Northern Ireland.
Maurice ‘Mo’ Robinson, from Laurelvale, was driving the Scania lorry and container in which the bodies of 31 men and eight women – two of whom were just 15 – were discovered.
He was jailed for 13 years and four months in January 2020 on 39 counts of manslaughter and assisting unlawful immigration.
Robinson has been serving his sentence in Belmarsh Category A prison in London, however, the PA news agency have reported that the 29-year-old was moved to Maghaberry Prison – just 20 miles from his family home – in March.
Maurice Robinson (CCTV Essex Police)
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Prison Service said: “Prisoners serving sentences in the UK may apply to be transferred from one jurisdiction to another under intra-UK prisoner transfer arrangements providing they meet certain qualifying criteria.
“These include having close family (ie: a partner, children, parents, grandparents or a wider supportive family circle) resident in the receiving jurisdiction.
“These arrangements help provide prisoners with easier access to a supportive family environment, which is considered a crucial element of a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey.
“Transfers are usually on a restricted basis meaning that for the purposes of detention, release and licence recall they remain subject to the laws governing the original sentencing jurisdiction.
“For these prisoners release dates remain unaltered.”
Read more: Mo Robinson lorry to be sold off for parts with proceeds going towards 39 victims’ families
