Teen who piloted Channel boat with 165 migrants jailed

A teenager who piloted a dinghy carrying a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel to the UK has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison.

Chan Mathok Atak, 19, from South Sudan, admitted endangering others during a sea crossing on 23 July.

Prosecutors at Canterbury Crown Court said Atak created a risk of death or serious personal injury to others on board the boat.

At the time, the so-called "mega dinghy" set a record for the largest number of migrants brought over on a small boat in recent years. That figure has since been surpassed with 230 people on board a vessel in August.

At Canterbury Crown Court on Friday,Judge Sarah Counsell said the offence was so serious "only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified".

She warned Atak that as a foreign national he was liable in principle to automatic deportation once he completed his sentence.

James Harrison, prosecuting, told the court the boat Atak was piloting was 12.8ft (3.9m) wide and 46.9ft (14.3m) long, a similar length to a standard bus.

The boat had travelled between Calais and the UK and was deflating when it was picked up by border force vessels.

The dinghy, which had 31 children on board with the youngest aged 14, had two outboard engines but one was not working, the court heard.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the boat was "severely overcrowded", had limited food, drinking water, and medication, and had been at sea for almost 24 hours.

The quality of the lifejackets on board was also "completely inadequate" and the fire risk was "considerable" due to how close batteries were to fuel cans, the NCA added.

Harrison said just before the boat was intercepted, Atak moved away from the engine into another part of the vessel and took off his jacket.

He said this was an attempt to not to be identified as the helmsman.

However, Atak was seen during 90 minutes of aerial footage to be piloting the vessel using its one remaining functioning engine, the court heard.

Harrison said: "There's no evidence to suggest that the defendant had any training or experience of conducting this type of navigation.

"The size of the vessel and the number of people on board presented an obvious danger. The vessel would have been unstable because of it deflating."

Harrison said the risks of the crossing "would have been apparent to Atak".

In an interview, Atak said he paid €200 euros (£172) to a gang for the crossing but denied he was the helmsman.

Additional reporting from PA Media.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.