FOUR men will stand trial next month in connection with the smuggling of a group of 34 Afghan immigrants through Tilbury last year – one of whom died.

Martin McGlinchey, 47, from Coalisland, Co Tyrone, Stephen McLaughlin, 34, from Limavady, Londonderry, and Timothy Murphy, 33 from Londonderry, all in Northern Ireland, are accused of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry into the UK, as is Taha Sharif, 32, of no fixed address.

A hearing was held at Southend Crown Court on Friday (May 15), with none of the defendants present, to discuss legal matters ahead of the trial, which is set to start on June 8 at Basildon Crown Court.

Sharif was supposed to be present at the hearing but due to an administrative error at Wandsworth Prison, south west London, he was not brought to Southend on Friday.

On August 16, 2014, a container with 35 Afghan Sikhs inside was found at Tilbury Docks, having arrived from Belgium.

One man, Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, was found dead inside the container and Basildon Hospital subsequently declared an emergency in tending to the rest of the group, many of whom were young children.

The defendants have yet to enter formal pleas but they are expected to contest their charge.