Truck driver Maurice Robinson appears in court accused of manslaughter over truck containing 39 dead bodies in Essex

Maurice "Mo" Robinson, 25, has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter. Photo / Facebook

The driver of the truck found containing 39 dead bodies in Britain last week has appeared in court in Essex.

Maurice Robinson, 25, of Laurel Drive Craigavon, Northern Ireland, appeared in Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Monday.

He is charged with 39 counts of manslaughter along with two charges of people trafficking and two charges of money laundering between 1 December 2018 and 24 October 2019.

Robinson was emotionless as he appeared via videolink from an unknown location wearing a grey T-shirt.

Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, appears in court via video-link at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, England. Photo / AP

He made no comment other than to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

Julian Hayes of Berri's Law, representing Robinson, made no application for bail during the proceedings.

Crown Prosecutor Iguyovwe Oghenerouna argued Robinson should be denied bail.

District Judge Timothy King denied Robinson bail and said he would be remanded in custody.

Police escort the truck, that was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, as they move it from an industrial estate in Thurrock, south England. Photo / AP

The case has been transferred to London's Old Bailey, where Robinson will appear on November 25 and enter a plea. If not guilty, a trial will be set for early 2020. If he enters a guilty plea, he will be sentenced.

Three other people have been arrested in connection with the investigation and have been released on bail. They include a man and woman, both 38, from Warrington, as well as a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland who was arrested at Stansted airport.

The case is the largest mass fatality victim identification process in the history of Essex police. The 39 people found in the truck have been moved to Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford where police are painstakingly working to identify the victims.

Eight women and 31 men were found dead inside the truck in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police are using dental comparison, fingerprints and DNA for identification, alongside secondary features such as tattoos, scars and birthmarks as well as clothing or property.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks with the Chief Constable of Essex Police, Ben-Julian Harrington, to lay flowers as tribute to the victims. Photo / AP

Each of the 39 victims was carrying a bag of some description including clothes and other belongings, police said.

Police initially said the victims were Chinese nationals, however members of the Vietnamese community have come forward to say they believe their loved ones were on board.

The family of Pham Thi Tra My, 26, received a message on Tuesday evening saying her "trip to a foreign land has failed".

Nguyen Dinh Gia said he had not heard from his son, Nguyen Dinh Luogn, 20, sine he said he was trying to travel from the UK to Paris last week.