French Politician Sentenced to Three Years of Jail

It now seems that the French politician who tried to help her son smuggle illegal emigrants into the UK through Portsmouth ferry port has been jailed for three years. Christine Chocat's son, Benjamin Chocat, who was the mastermind behind the plan, was jailed for five years at Portsmouth Crown Court. This ruling came about after the judge heard how the 20-year-old had made a deal to deliver the emigrants for 24,000 euros.

The French pair was trying to smuggle in 16 Vietnamese. However, the emigrants were discovered in a cramped pen that measured just 4ft by 5ft 10in by 7ft 6 in in the back of a van. The French pair rented the van in Paris and drilled holes in the wheel archers to give the 13 men and three women holes to breath through.

The emigrants hid in the wooden frame box behind boxes of noodles and then drove 220 miles from the French capital to Cherbourg. From there it was a three hour ferry journey to Portsmouth. However, the van was stopped by immigration officers at Portsmouth, and after a brief check, they became suspicious about the amount of condensation in the vehicle.

The two had both pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful emigration. Michael McGoldrick, defending Benjamin Chocat, said that he had gotten involved, because that he needed the money after losing his job. He feels the pain of what he did on a daily basis - the fact that he choose to get involved in such a bad enterprise that led to his mother's arrest.

The UK Border Agency regional director, Tony Smith, after the hearing, said that he is pleased at the sentence, which now shows that there is no hiding place for people who break the law. The UK Border Agency is committed to tackling criminals who set out to make money by attempting to breach their tough emigration controls.