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A landlord from Northumberland has been convicted of modern-day slavery offences after forcing his tenants to work for free. Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, the landlord was also convicted of supplying Diazepam to his tenants and beating them up if they failed to comply with his demands. He was found guilty of six separate offences. His co-accused was found non-guilty in relation to the drugs charges.
Housing Offered to Vulnerable Tenants
The landlord offered housing to vulnerable people, often men who were homeless or drug users, and then forced them to work at his various businesses without paying them a fair wage. The landlord claimed he was acting out of compassion and a desire to help vulnerable people. He claimed he looked after his tenants, cared about them, made sure they ate properly and didn’t drink too much. However, the evidence presented to the court showed a different story. The tenants reported being given leftover food from takeaways and threatened if they tried to stand up to the landlord.
Supplied with Drugs
One tenant told the court he had been asked to paint a ceiling in the landlord’s takeaway. He expected to be paid for the work, but no money was forthcoming. He eventually ended up working in the takeaway, serving food and opening/closing the shop, but he never earned a penny. To keep him and the other tenants quiet, the landlord supplied Diazepam, a class C drug.
The landlord will have to return to the court for sentencing, but it is likely that he will be sent to prison.
