A Senegalese migrant named Ibrahima Bah has been found guilty of the manslaughter of four migrants who drowned when the boat he piloted ran into difficulty in the English Channel last December. Bah had offered to steer the dinghy in exchange for a free crossing, and claimed he was forced by violent smugglers to make the journey with at least 43 other migrants. The home-built inflatable was too small and low-quality and should not have held more than 20 people, and Bah continued the crossing even after signs the boat had been deflating.
Bah was also found guilty of facilitating a breach of immigration law. This is the first time a migrant who navigated an inflatable has been found responsible for harm caused to other occupants. Bah had previously told the court he had changed his mind about piloting the boat to the UK upon arrival on the French coast, but claimed he was assaulted by smugglers and threatened with death if he did not go ahead with the crossing.
He was found guilty by the jury by a majority of 10 to two of four counts of manslaughter and was found guilty unanimously of facilitating illegal entry to the UK. A jury in a previous trial, held last summer, were dismissed after being unable to reach a verdict. Bah, whom a court determined was an adult but whose exact age is in dispute, will be sentenced on Friday afternoon. The exact number of migrants who drowned is unknown, as at least one person’s body is believed to not have been recovered.
Ms Clark, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said there was “no direct evidence of Bah being assaulted other than what Bah says”, and that was not a “tenable defence”. She said there was “no direct evidence of Bah being assaulted other than what Bah says,” and that his actions as the boat continued despite safety warnings and signs of deflation were not those of someone acting under duress. “He could’ve gone out in the boat for a small distance if he was in fear and then gone back because it was too dangerous in his opinion. But he kept going even when after about half an hour into the voyage, that boat was taking on water and people were hearing sounds of puncturing and hissing as the boat deflated.
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