People smuggler jailed for death

Negatin denied the men had been in his lorry

A driver convicted of killing a refugee who he smuggled into the UK under his lorry has been jailed for eight years.

Georgij Negatin packed five refugees into a tool compartment before he began a 600-mile (967km) trip from Denmark.

He dumped the five men, one of whom was dead and another who later died in hospital, on the side of a country lane near the A12, in Essex, in June 2006.

Negatin, 41, from Lithuania, was convicted of manslaughter following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

All five refugees were suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion as a result of the trip on an "unusually hot day", the court heard.

They were trapped in a metal tool compartment under the trailer, measuring 8x3x2ft (2.4mx90cmx61cm).

It was secured from the outside preventing anyone inside from opening it, the court was told.

The lorry was making a 600-mile (967 km) trip

The lorry was being driven from Padborg, Denmark, to Tipton, Staffordshire.

It had stopped at Vlaardingen, Holland, before catching a ferry to Harwich, Essex.

One refugee was already dead when found by a passing cyclist and another later died in hospital. Two disappeared and the fifth, a Pakistani, made a full recovery.

He told police he paid 5,000 euros to "a man" to be smuggled into the UK.

Negatin, from Vilnius, had always denied that the men were in his lorry.

Tachograph and satellite tracking records, as well as DNA evidence from a hair found on a packet of cigarettes in the compartment proved otherwise.

'Inhumane crime'

A second manslaughter charge against him was dropped.

Det Supt Phil Tucker said: "This was a callous and inhumane crime.

"These desperate young men travelled illegally into the UK in the hope of a better life for them and their families, but died for the sake of a sip of water.

"Negatin pulled them out of his lorry, gave no aid and did not even make an anonymous call, but left them to die."