Teenager jailed for piloting 'mega dinghy' across the Channel

A 19-year-old has been jailed for more than two years for piloting a "mega dinghy" carrying 167 people across the Channel.

Chan Mathok Atak, from South Sudan, was said to have been one of two pilots on the boat, which crossed from France to the UK in July.

It was estimated to be about 13m long - the same length as a bus.

At Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, Atak was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.

At the time it was intercepted, it was the most people ever found on a migrant boat in the Channel.

However, that figure has since been surpassed with 230 arriving in one vessel last month.

In August, Atak pleaded guilty to piloting the boat and prosecutors said he had created a risk of death or serious injury to those on board.

The dinghy had two outboard engines but one was not working, while tubing on the vessel had started to deflate, the court heard.

Aerial footage shows one person "constantly pumping" in an attempt to re-inflate the rigid-hulled inflatable boat.

Atak was also picked up on aerial footage operating the boat for 90 minutes wearing a black jacket with an "Italia" logo.

He then crouched down among passengers and removed his jacket "to avoid detection as the helmsman", prosecutor James Harrison said.

Sentencing him, Judge Sarah Counsell said Atak played an "important role" in controlling and navigating the boat, and it was not "fleeting or incidental involvement".

"Crossings of this nature are inherently dangerous," she said.

She said small inflatable boats of the type commonly used for these crossings are not designed for offshore sea voyages.

"Those who choose to steer such vessels assume responsibility for the safety of those on board," she added.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

(c) Sky News 2026: Teenager jailed for piloting 'mega dinghy' across the Channel