A mum and son illegally smuggled Vietnamese nationals into the country in the boot of their car.
James Liddiard and Andrea Cavanagh were among six Merseyside-based people traffickers caught attempting to transport stowaways into the UK from France within the space of a week. The mother and child team did so under the guise of a day trip to Paris.
Canterbury Crown Court heard on Tuesday that the smugglers "worked in pairs", with the first such illicit journey being detected on December 9 2018. On this occasion, two hidden Vietnamese passengers were discovered in the boot of a car being driven by Charli White, with then 17-year-old companion Erin Burns "acting as a decoy" next to her in the front.
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Then, on December 13, Liddiard was stopped while driving with his mum Cavanagh with a further two concealed migrants. The same day, Louisa Harrison and David Finn were caught transporting three stowaways locked in the trunk.
The Home Office told the ECHO that UK Border Control stopped a total of four vehicles at Coquelles, near Calais, between December 8 and 13 2018. Checks showed that each had booked short-notice trips to France which would allow them visits of less than 24 hours.
These cars had one front-seat passenger alongside the driver, but a total of 11 "undocumented" Vietnamese men and women were also found hidden in the boots. They were subsequently "served illegal entry papers and presented to the French authorities".
When arrested, the occupants of the vehicles "expressed surprise that anyone was in the boot of their respective cars" and "denied any involvement with assisting illegal entry to the UK". Investigations found that "expenditure for the trips was inconsistent with their financial situation", with all the suspects having been unemployed at the time.
The probe also utilised the services of a specialist mechanical engineer to show that it "would have been obvious to the drivers" that persons were hiding in the boot, due to factors including a change in handling. Meanwhile, one was clocked by a speed camera while travelling over the limit en route back to Coquelles, with the captured image identifying the motorist and showing a Vietnamese man sitting in the back seat.
All six defendants and their counsel appeared via video link to Liverpool Crown Court yesterday afternoon. Liddiard, of Huyton Lane in Huyton, was said to have "agreed to do it because he owed money".
Zoe Chapman, defending, told the court that her client was "taking drugs every day" at the time. But the 30-year-old's conviction was said to have been a "catalyst for change" in his life, including tackling his substance abuse issues.
Finn, of Neston Street in Walton, was described as having a "lengthy and unattractive" criminal record. Daniel Robinson, appearing on behalf of the 36-year-old, said he had been "heavily in debt" due to his cannabis addiction and was "offered an opportunity to earn a small sum of money".
White, of Stratford Place in Fleetwood, is a mum-of-five and is the sole carer to her five-month old baby. Peter White, defending, said that the 33-year-old had originally moved to Liverpool "due to being a victim of domestic violence", but has since returned to Lancashire.
Cavanagh, of St John's Road in Huyton, was described by her counsel Oliver Saddington as being "in poor health". The 52-year-old suffers from fibromyalgia and used a wheelchair in court, and was said to have "believed the intention was to visit the French capital".
Harrison, of Brunswick Parade in Waterloo, was described as being "in significant debt" and "believed she was going to get cigarettes and alcohol" from France before discovering the true nature of her trip shortly before leaving England. Ms Chapman said in her submissions that the 44-year-old former carer has otherwise lived a "commendable life" and has no previous convictions.
Burns, who was defended by Zahra Baqri, was aged 17 at the time of her offending. The now 22-year-old, of Miles Street in Toxteth, has no previous convictions.
All six admitted facilitating unlawful immigration. Several pleaded guilty to the offence as long ago as August 2019, with delays in the case proceeding through the court system being cited among the reasons that some were allowed to walk free from the dock.
Liddiard was jailed for two years, while Finn was handed 22 months behind bars. White - who is also known as Charli Maddock - received a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years and a six-month electronically-monitored curfew from 7pm to 7am.
Cavanagh and Harrison each received 22 months suspended for two years and six-month curfews from 8pm to 8am. Burns was given a 15-month sentence suspended for two years and a six-month, 7pm to 8am curfew.
Sentencing, Judge Mark Weekes said: "This was obviously done for profit and part of carefully organised criminality. These type of offences create an inherent risk to the safety of the UK's borders and undermine public confidence in the immigration authorities.
"Once in the country, the authorities are unlikely to know of a person's existence - undocumented, with all the problems that may concern. I consider it inevitable they would have been exploited and trafficked once in this country, and all of you played your part."
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said following the sentencing: "This brazen attempt to cram illegal migrants into an incredibly tight space and smuggle them over our border is unacceptable, and we will not stand for it. These sentences show that we are bringing to justice these gangs, who put profit before lives by smuggling vulnerable people into the country so dangerously."
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