The driver of a lorry in which 58 Chinese died last year has gone on trial before a British court today charged with 58 counts of manslaughter.
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Police at the port
of Dover last June |
The Chinese victims - 54 men and four women - were found suffocatedin the refrigerated lorry as it arrived at the southern English portDover off a ferry from Belgium last June.
Mr Perry Wacker, who faces 58 manslaughter charges and charges of smuggling and conspiracy to smuggle immigrants, satsilently in Maidstone court as defence and prosecution lawyers beganpreliminary arguments.
The judge banned all reporting of the legal arguments. Mr Wacker (32) from Rotterdam in Holland, denies the charges.
An inquest into the deaths heard that the Chinese died horrific, slowdeaths after screaming and banging on the side of the container toattract attention when their single air vent was shut.
Only two of the 60 immigrants, who were packed into a container meantfor transporting tomatoes, survived.