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28/03/2006
Chinese cockler gangmaster jailed for 14 years
A Chinese gangmaster found guilty of the manslaughter of 21 cockle pickers who drowned at Morecambe Bay has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Lin Liang Ren, 29, from Liverpool had denied being the head of the cockle picking operation, which brought over illegal immigrants to collect cockles, and denied the charges against him.
However, he was convicted of 21 counts of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court last week, as well as facilitation - helping people to breach immigration laws.
Mr Justice Henriques sentenced Lin Liang Ren to 12 years of manslaughter and six years for facilitation, to run concurrently. He was also jailed for a further two years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice to run consecutively with the other terms.
The cocklers, who were all illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 45, drowned in rising tides at Morecambe Bay on February 5, 2004.
Twenty-one bodies were recovered, although police believe that twenty-three people died.
At the sentencing Judge Henriques said that Lin Liang Ren had "cynically and callously" exploited his countrymen and women and provided them with "dreadful" living conditions.
The judge also said that he had told a series of "spectacular lies: in order to avoid jail and displayed complete indifference to the fate of the victims.
Lin Liang Ren's cousin, 31-year-old Lin Mu Yong and girlfriend, 21-year-old Zhao Xiao Qing, both from Liverpool, were also convicted of facilitation.
Lin Mu Yong was sentenced to four years and nine months, while Zhao Xiao Qing was sentenced to two years and nine months.
(KMcA/SP)
Lin Liang Ren, 29, from Liverpool had denied being the head of the cockle picking operation, which brought over illegal immigrants to collect cockles, and denied the charges against him.
However, he was convicted of 21 counts of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court last week, as well as facilitation - helping people to breach immigration laws.
Mr Justice Henriques sentenced Lin Liang Ren to 12 years of manslaughter and six years for facilitation, to run concurrently. He was also jailed for a further two years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice to run consecutively with the other terms.
The cocklers, who were all illegal immigrants aged between 18 and 45, drowned in rising tides at Morecambe Bay on February 5, 2004.
Twenty-one bodies were recovered, although police believe that twenty-three people died.
At the sentencing Judge Henriques said that Lin Liang Ren had "cynically and callously" exploited his countrymen and women and provided them with "dreadful" living conditions.
The judge also said that he had told a series of "spectacular lies: in order to avoid jail and displayed complete indifference to the fate of the victims.
Lin Liang Ren's cousin, 31-year-old Lin Mu Yong and girlfriend, 21-year-old Zhao Xiao Qing, both from Liverpool, were also convicted of facilitation.
Lin Mu Yong was sentenced to four years and nine months, while Zhao Xiao Qing was sentenced to two years and nine months.
(KMcA/SP)
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