Laurelvale man Mo Robinson has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese nationals in October.
He changed his plea this afternoon at the Old Bailey.
Thirty-one men and eight women – including two 15-year-old boys – were found in the back of a refrigerated lorry container at Purfleet in Essex.
The lorry had arrived from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
In November he pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property and plotting to assist illegal immigration and it was alleged at the time he was part of a global smuggling ring.
Robinson has been in custody since a short time after the gruesome discovery on October 23.
He entered a guilty to the 39 manslaughter charges this afternoon.
But he has denied a charge of transferring criminal property and could yet stand trial for that, with prosecutors requesting three weeks to give this consideration.
Four other co-defendants – including 23-year-old Christopher Kennedy, from Corkley Road, Darkley, Co Armagh – are expected to go on trial in October. He denies conspiring to assist illegal immigration and the trial could last for up to eight weeks.
