Man who steered boat across channel found guilty over drownings

A man who piloted a small boat across the Channel on a crossing during which at least four fellow passengers drowned has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Ibrahima Bah was convicted by a jury at Canterbury crown court on Monday after a retrial. The court had heard Bah piloted the boat under duress from a people-smuggling gang.

Bah, who is Senegalese, was one of more than 40 people trying to cross to the UK in the improvised vessel in December 2022, and received free passage in return for steering it, prosecutors had alleged.

More details to follow …