A West Devon-based man was paid £70,000 for smuggling 40 illegal migrants into the UK in three trips by boat from France, a jury heard today (Tuesday, March 24).

Tony Williams told Plymouth Crown Court that he made around half a dozen trips in total and was compelled to act under duress out of fear of what he called a Mafia- style crime gang.

Williams, 60, from Lydford, West Devon and Monet Roberts, from London, are on trial charged with conspiring to assist in unlawful immigration into the UK.

The court heard Williams was skippering a boat carrying 17 migrants who were dropped off at Slapton Sands in South Devon one morning in June 2022.

The migrants, some carrying suitcases, were escorted up the beach and picked up by two hired taxis and driven to London.

Williams sailed on to Plymouth and was surprised that Border Force or the police were not waiting there to arrest him.

He was later arrested in December 2022 and bailed.

The jury has been told that Williams and Roberts were on a second boat that dropped off migrants at Mothecombe on the south Devon coast in July 2023.

Married Williams claimed his family were threatened by an enforcer and Roberts said he did not know what was going on and had been hoodwinked.

Giving evidence Williams said in total he made around seven trips carrying more than 70 people across the Channel and was meant to be paid £3,500 for each person but received only around 60 per cent of that.

Both men deny the charges and the trial continues,