3 men from the Isle of Wight have been convicted of organising the smuggling of people across the English Channel, with the revelation that 10 illegal immigrants were brought into the country via East Cowes.
47-year-old Stephen ‘Lord’ Redhead, of Horsbridge Hill in Newport and 55-year-old Christopher Barber, of Landguard Road in Shanklin, have today (Friday) been found guilty by a unanimous jury of conspiring to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person, contrary to the Immigration Act. Their convictions come following a 7-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Jean Pierre Labelle, 45, of Ashey Road, in Ryde, pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court on 3rd February to the same offence.
On 17th March 2020, Labelle travelled to Cherbourg in France, onboard a 70ft ketch yacht named ‘Anore’ with Redhead and Barber. They returned to East Cowes Marina on 19th March 2020 with 10 additional people who are suspected to have been migrants entering the UK illegally.
CCTV was examined showing the migrants alighting the vessel and a report was made to Hampshire Constabulary following the incident, before being passed to officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) to investigate. The migrants are believed to have been in the UK but have not been able to be traced due to the incident being retrospectively reported.
VIDEO: The moment that 10 people disembark the Anore at East Cowes
Between 26th June and 27th June 2020, Labelle organised another journey from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg using a small boat named ‘Freedom’. On this occasion he was unsuccessful and the vessel used was intercepted after a joint operation with SEROCU, the National Crime Agency and French authorities.
6 Albanian nationals were found to be on board along with 2 criminal associates who were subsequently prosecuted in France, including Josh Van Praagh from Bembridge. Checks established that the Albanian nationals did not have the necessary pre-entry clearance needed to enter the United Kingdom.
Clair Trueman, Senior investigating officer from SEROCU, says:
“Today’s convictions are the result of detailed investigation into people smuggling.
“We know the dangerous that people face being smuggled across the English Channel and we know tragically, this and other methods can have lethal consequences.
“We continue our work to tackle the people smugglers who seek to exploit UK borders and treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from, with no regard for their safety.”
Senior investigating officer Clair Trueman, from SEROCU
Redhead has been remanded in custody and Barber has been released on bail until sentencing.
The defendants are due to appear at Isle of Wight Crown Court for sentencing on 18th March.
Redhead? that pathetic waste of air…
The ‘lord’ of Shanklin could be looking at upto 14 years (fingers crossed), especially after the tragic deaths of those poor people a year or two ago.
30 years more like it
After my comment I checked the latest guidelines- good news, the maximum penalty has been increased to life.
Was about time this t wat got caught for something…hes done msny many dodgy dealings going back many years
Fantastic work by our border force and police.
These people who have burdened us with a minimum of TEN more bodies to eventually house, treat, and keep and they should have everything they own taken from them and all their future earnings taxed at 60% to pay for the unwanted bodies they inflict on our society
even their money, house , yacht ,and boats ,
Hop that that lock him up and throw the key
Albanians? Excellent, more pimps and drug barons.
I hope they get along time in jail and that the HMRC look at their bank accounts , and that the proceeds of crime act confiscates every penny that they can. These arrogant people think they are above the law.
These scum have been evading the law for years. Now lock them up for years.
A particularly arrogant nasty little individual who thought he was untouchable and now is getting his comeuppance. Well done to all the agencies concerned.
Disgusting, those poor people yet again promised a new life in the UK by these things that have absolutely no respect for human life! They need to be made an example of? Why is one out on bail enjoying freedom? Our justice system needs to be seriously reviewed???
It does need reviewing but the judges don’t know if they got out of bed until they are climbing back in they are all old frail out of touch still living in the 40s
Dont think the guy unlocking the door has been charged yet. Good CCTV. Short with pointy shoes?
Fyi guys..lord t wat head has been smuggling for a very long time!just Never got caught unfo.weird hes not been bailed like the other 2?…such a shame
Always flashed the cash (dodgy developer/smuggler) ..always paid a good lawyer too get him off stuff.
His trips” too france” go back too at least 25 years if not longer.family over there came in handy!
Horrid nasty guy …deserves all he gets
Hopefully prision will scare him witless
Was the Lord not made Bankrupt a few years ago??…I’ve seen him driving a pickup truck around during the last 12 months..
He had a lovely big house in Sanford, but it was repossessed, I wonder how he funded his building projects??
Steven Redhead has had issues for the last 25 years probably. He’s short, massive chip on shoulder, but that could be down to his earlier life, bullied maybe at school? who knows. Those that have crossed his path, just humour him and smile, he may have built this and that paid for a title, but the sadness of it all is nobody cares. Steve when you come out in 7-10 years do something good in life, don’t start trying to be the big i am you embarrass yourself. Be a nice family man and lose this silly existence that you seem to think is your image. Be a man when you come out. Take the advice.
The facts of the case are not correct as the imagrants have not been traced or found so are they ( illegal imagrants)????
as they brought Albanians over here i think the 3 of them should be deported to Albania. even up the numbers slightly