Eamon Harrison remanded in UK extradition proceedings

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Eamon Harrison was remanded in custody by the High Court in Dublin during proceedings over a British request for his extradition. British authorities sought his surrender to face 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to commit human trafficking. The proceedings were reported on 21 November 2019.

Harrison, then aged 22 and from Mayobridge, Co Down, was alleged to have delivered a refrigerated trailer to a Belgian port before its onward journey to Britain. The bodies of eight women and 31 men were found in the trailer in Grays, Essex, on 23 October 2019.

Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan told the court that Harrison had been identified as the driver of the lorry used to deliver the trailer to Zeebrugge on 22 October 2019.

Harrison’s counsel, Siobhán Stack SC, said he had been travelling on an Irish passport, although the extradition warrant described him as a British citizen. She argued that the warrant lacked critical information about where the alleged offences occurred and where the people died. She also said it did not allege that Harrison knew what was happening in the background.

Mr Justice Donald Binchy said he would seek further information from the issuing judicial authority about Harrison’s alleged actions and invite it to comment on his nationality. He fixed a resumed hearing for 12 December 2019 and remanded Harrison in custody to appear again on that date.