The sentencing of Ronan Hughes, who's pleaded guilty to the deaths of 39 people in a lorry in England, has begun.
The 41 year old with an address in Tyholland, Co Monaghan, is among a number of defendants to be sentenced at the Old Bailey in London.
Ronan Hughes, who's originally from Armagh, has been described as the "ring-leader" behind the major people smuggling operation.
39 people were found dead in a trailer in Essex in October 2019 by lorry driver 29 year old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon, Co Armagh.
A major Police investigation saw the arrest and extradition of Mr Hughes, who subsequently pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter - as did Mr Robinson.
The Vietnamese migrants or their families paid up to £13,000 to be trafficked to the UK - some were as young as 15 years old.
They died after being left in the sealed container for around 12 hours.
The sentencing hearing today heard recordings of desperate calls made by some of those inside the trailer.
The hearing is expected to take a number of days when Mr Hughes and Mr Robinson, along with a number of other defendants, will be sentenced.
