Lorry driver Maurice Robinson has admitted the manslaughter of 39 people who were found dead in a refrigerated trailer in Essex.

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

Robinson, who is known as Mo, was arrested shortly after the bodies were discovered in the back of his lorry on an industrial estate in Grays last year.

The bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were found by emergency services shortly after the lorry arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium in the early hours of October 23.

Among the men, women and children were 10 teenagers, two of them 15-year-old boys.

Robinson, of Craigavon, County Armagh, and four others appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link.

During the hearing, he admitted 39 counts of manslaughter on or before October 24 last year. He denied a further charge of transferring criminal property.

He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property.

British Romanian Gheorghe Nica, 43, of Langdon Hills in Essex, denied 39 counts of manslaughter.

He also denied one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration between May 1, 2018 and October 24, 2019.

39 Bodies found in a container at Waterglade Industrial Park, Grays 35 show all 39 Bodies found in a container at Waterglade Industrial Park, Grays 1/35 Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estate. PA 2/35 Thirty-nine bodies, including one of a teenager, have been found in a lorry container in Essex. The bodies were found in a lorry on the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays Sky News 3/35 A forensic officer inside the cab of a lorry at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 4/35 Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images 5/35 A Police forensic investigation team at the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Jeremy Selwyn 6/35 Flowers are pictured by a road sign on Eastern Avenue at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays AFP via Getty Images 7/35 Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry on the industrial estate PA 8/35 Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estat PA 9/35 Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images 10/35 A Police forensic investigation team are parked near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images 11/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 12/35 People gather to watch as a lorry, in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer, is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images 13/35 Police officers drive away a lorry in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Gray AFP via Getty Images 14/35 Police officers drive away a lorry, with black plastic visible at the rear, in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, AFP via Getty Images 15/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 16/35 A lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images 17/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 18/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, PA 19/35 Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 20/35 Police and forensic officers inspect the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images 21/35 PA 22/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images 23/35 An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck, seen at centre, was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurrock AP 24/35 Jeremy Selwyn 25/35 An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurock AP 26/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images 27/35 Sky News 28/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England. The lorry was discovered early Wednesday morning in Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in the town of Grays. Authorities said they believed the lorry originated in Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on October 19. The suspected driver was arrested in connection with the investigation Getty Images 29/35 Sky News 30/35 Sky News 31/35 Sky News 32/35 Sky News 33/35 Sky News 34/35 Sky News 35/35 Sky News 1/35 Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estate. PA 2/35 Thirty-nine bodies, including one of a teenager, have been found in a lorry container in Essex. The bodies were found in a lorry on the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays Sky News 3/35 A forensic officer inside the cab of a lorry at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 4/35 Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images 5/35 A Police forensic investigation team at the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Jeremy Selwyn 6/35 Flowers are pictured by a road sign on Eastern Avenue at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays AFP via Getty Images 7/35 Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry on the industrial estate PA 8/35 Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estat PA 9/35 Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images 10/35 A Police forensic investigation team are parked near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images 11/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 12/35 People gather to watch as a lorry, in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer, is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images 13/35 Police officers drive away a lorry in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Gray AFP via Getty Images 14/35 Police officers drive away a lorry, with black plastic visible at the rear, in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, AFP via Getty Images 15/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 16/35 A lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images 17/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 18/35 The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, PA 19/35 Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA 20/35 Police and forensic officers inspect the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images 21/35 PA 22/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images 23/35 An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck, seen at centre, was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurrock AP 24/35 Jeremy Selwyn 25/35 An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurock AP 26/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images 27/35 Sky News 28/35 Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England. The lorry was discovered early Wednesday morning in Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in the town of Grays. Authorities said they believed the lorry originated in Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on October 19. The suspected driver was arrested in connection with the investigation Getty Images 29/35 Sky News 30/35 Sky News 31/35 Sky News 32/35 Sky News 33/35 Sky News 34/35 Sky News 35/35 Sky News

Romanian national Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 27, of Tilbury, Essex, denied a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Christopher Kennedy, 23, of Darkley in Co Armagh, has previously denied conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration

Valentin Calota, 37, from Birmingham, was not asked to enter a plea to the charge of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones QC said a human trafficking conspiracy charge was being dropped in relation to Kennedy and Robinson.

He asked for three weeks to decide whether to proceed with a trial against Robinson on the outstanding charge he faces.

The other defendants face a trial at the Old Bailey lasting up to eight weeks from October 5.

Additional reporting by PA Media