A teenager accused of the manslaughter of four people who drowned after the small boat they were travelling in sank has gone on trial.

Ibrahima Bah, 19, is said to have piloted the vessel which got into difficulty in the English Channel on December 14 last year.

Bah, who himself was seeking asylum when disaster struck, denies playing a part in the deaths.

Today, a jury of 12 men and women were sworn in at Canterbury Crown Court at the beginning of a four-week trial.

The defendant denies the manslaughter of Ahmadi Hajratullah and three unknown individuals, who were also seeking asylum.

Bah also denies one count of facilitating the commission of a breach of UK immigration law.

Giving legal directions today, Mr Justice Kavanagh KC ordered jurors to ignore previous publicity surrounding the case.

He said: “[The] circumstances may excite strong emotions. You must all put that to one side.

“Any views you have about the Channel crossings must play no part in the evaluations of the evidence or verdicts in this case.”

Duncan Atkinson KC is expected to deliver the prosecution’s opening speech to 14 jurors tomorrow, with a further two held as reserves.

Wearing a black jumper and grey jogging bottoms, bespectacled Bah appeared behind a perspex screen in the dock, assisted with the aid of an interpreter today.

The trial continues.