London, United Kingdom. Five British immigration officers pleaded not guilty on Thursday to misconduct in public office and conspiracy to steal from migrants who arrived in Britain on small boats, ahead of a trial scheduled for January 2028.
Charges and defendants
John Bernthal, 53, Ben Edwardes, 45, Lee-Ann Evanson, 42, Besmir Matera, 36, and Jack Mitchell, 33, are charged with stealing from migrants from August 2021 to November 2022. All five are also charged with one count of misconduct in public office and one count of money laundering.
A sixth defendant, David Grundy, 43, is charged with one count of money laundering. All six defendants entered not guilty pleas at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
Additional allegations against Matera
Matera is also charged with obtaining leave to enter or remain in Britain by deception and possession of three identity documents in a false name: a British passport and full and provisional driving licences. He denies the allegations.
Prosecution outline
The six worked as immigration officers on Britain’s south coast, dealing with migrants arriving on small boats.
Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said Matera was arrested in relation to the immigration offences in October 2022 and that WhatsApp messages were found showing the defendants “discussing and forming an agreement to steal from migrants”. Harris said the total alleged to be stolen was unclear but was “in the hundreds of thousands” of pounds.
Political context
Crossings of small boats carrying migrants from France have become a focal point for British voters and have helped propel Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party into an opinion poll lead.
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