Pictures of people smugglers from Hemel Hempstead and the messy van they used to hide migrants have been shared.
The pair, who tried to bring a family-of-five from Afghanistan into the country hidden in a rubbish-filled van, were jailed during an appearance at Croydon Crown Court on Friday (November 8).
The Home Office has since released the men’s mugshots and pictures showing the state of the van.
The youngest child, 10, was “extremely unwell and drifting in and out of consciousness” when the family – with children aged 11 and 16 also – were discovered by Border Force officers in Coquelles, in France, on August 27, 2018.
Josh Mallaburn, 33, and Liam Cronin, 34, were convicted of assisting unlawful immigration transporting the family following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court in October.
The businessman and bricklayer were each sentenced to three years and three months’ imprisonment on Friday, six years after they committed the offences.
Sentencing them, Recorder Nicola Makanjuola said their offences threatened UK borders and that sentences for this crime were “heavy” and intended to deter others.
- Hemel Hempstead people smugglers jailed after hiding family
- Gridlock traffic in Hemel as motorbike crash closes road
- Hemel robbery with 'machete' sparks police appeal
She said she had no doubt the “one-off incident” was for commercial gain, although there was no evidence how much the pair benefited financially.
The judge added that among the reasons she had reduced the sentences from four years in prison was that the pair, who are both fathers, had had the proceedings “hanging over their heads for six years”.
They will serve half of their sentence in custody and half on licence.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel