THELAWPAGES.COM

Country

England & Wales

Hearing Date

19 December 2012

Court Location

Bristol Crown Court

Judge

Judge Michael Longman

Case Number

T20117146

Name

Data Anonymised

Gender

Male

Age

52

Co-Defendant/s

Yes

Offence/s

Sentencing Details

Total Sentence

6 Years 6 Months

Parole Eligibility Date (PED)

21/3/2016

Sentenced Upon

Conviction After Trial

Distinguishing Features / Details

He was found guilty of conspiracy to require another person to perform forced or compulsory labour between April 2010 and March 2011. Together with his family, who owned a caravan park, he forced his victims to work for little compensation and subjected them to degrading treatment. His victims, vulnerable and often homeless, were made to work for the family as labourers at the family paving/patio businesses.

The judge said: "What each of the workers had in common was that, when they first met the Connors, they were unemployed and addicted to alcohol. Most were homeless, relying on hostels or night shelters at best for their accommodation. Some suffered from mental health difficulties. All were vulnerable in some way and it was this vulnerability which was exploited by the defendants for their own commercial gain.... The difference between the lifestyles of the defendants and the workers was marked: the work done reaped rich rewards for the Connors family, who lived luxuriously in caravans or houses, the workers whose labour helped to generate these rewards were paid, when they were paid at all, a pittance. Many of the workers were promised, when they were picked up, a regular income. What was offered largely failed to materialise and payment was irregular and meagre, covering only the most basic necessities. The accommodation provided was, for the most part, sub-standard... Workers spoke of violence being meted out by certain bosses against workers on different occasions but the evidence did not suggest that violence was regularly used against workers and rarely during the indictment period... such violence as there was, not only helped to define and emphasise the unequal relationship between bosses and workers but also served to ensure that the workers knew there was a line that was not to be crossed."

Case Timeline

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Crime Location

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Legal Teams & Authorities

Prosecuting Team

Authority

CPS South West (CPS Gloucestershire)

Chambers

Guildhall Chambers

Barrister

Christopher John Quinlan KC