Illegal immigration - Uncle and nephew sentenced

A 45-year-old man from Essex and his nephew who were part of an organised immigration crime gang have been sentenced today.

Christopher and Jake Crittenden, 30, admitted smuggling six Vietnamese nationals from Calais to Dover in 2019.

Christopher Crittenden was sentenced to three years in prison and Jake Crittenden was given a two year suspend sentence at Canterbury Crown Court. Jake Crittenden was also sentenced to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and has to wear an electronic tag for four months.

They were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after being caught by Immigration Enforcement officers with five men and one woman hiding under fishing gear in the trailer they were towing. They initially denied knowing the migrants were there and claimed they were returning from a fishing trip to France. 

They pleaded guilty in November last year to conspiring with others to breach immigration law.

Although uncle and nephew were caught on 29 September 2019, mobile phone chat data showed the older man had been involved with immigration crime before and been warned of the risks. A video filmed in February 2019 shows Christopher Crittenden driving a lorry and saying he is going to pick up some illegal immigrants. In July that year, Christopher Crittenden was in a WhatsApp chat with a man and they were discussing arrests linked to border control and use of boats. At one point the man tells Crittenden, “You’re breaking the law in two countries.”

The prosecution’s case was that the pair were part of a larger criminal network which included Lee Mandell, 43, and Gary Rothon, 47. In October 2025 they were each sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years after pleading guilty to acting as drivers who smuggled eight migrants to the UK in January 2020. There was no evidence of Mandell and Rothon having direct contact with the Crittendens.

Patricia Strobino from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“Christopher Crittenden was a man motivated by money. He flouted the laws of the UK and had no concerns for the welfare of the six migrants. 

“When asked about the risks involved, he laughed off the concerns.

“After getting caught he claimed he had gone fishing with his nephew, but the wealth of evidence found on his mobile, including location data, and messages left both men with no credible option other than to plead guilty.

“I want to thank Tessa Shroff from 9BR Chambers and the excellent partnership between the Crown Prosecution Service and Immigration Enforcement. This case shows what happens to criminals who think they can break the UK’s immigration laws without consequence.”