Man jailed for piloting Channel boat carrying 26 others

Jemal Abdela, 32, was sentenced after pleading guilty to endangering others during a Channel crossing to the UK without valid entry clearance. The boat carried 26 other people, including six children, towards the Kent coast. [1]

Prosecutor Matthew Parris told the court that Abdela had been seen piloting the boat while French authorities followed it. Parris said the vessel had no flares, GPS or maps, and alleged that Abdela moved to another part of the boat while wearing a hat before he was identified. [1]

Abdela told police he had paid €800 (£680) for the crossing. He said he had sat beside the captain but other passengers then made him take control. His defence lawyer, Francesca Hallett, said he had fled Eritrea and had later been imprisoned in Ethiopia and tortured by people smugglers in Libya. [1]