Man saved as a slave by traveller household gang wins £352,000 payout
- The slave was beaten, forced to eat leftovers and sleep inside a filthy caravan
A man kept as a slave for nearly 26 years and forced to work for a family’s driveway business has successfully sued the government for £352,000 for denying him adequate compensation.
The vulnerable man, referred to as Victim A, was beaten, given scraps of leftover food and forced to live in filthy conditions in a caravan on a travellers’ site in Lincolnshire by his captors, the Rooney family.
The group exploited a number of victims – who were often homeless people or men with learning disabilities – a 2017 trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard.
When 11 members of the Rooney family were convicted, it marked the largest modern slavery case in British legal history.
But Victim A, who was in his fifties, waited so long for compensation that his captors have now been released from prison.
Fifteen other men held captive alongside Victim A passed away before they could also claim adequate compensation.
One of the householders ended up dying without his family knowing. It was only when contacted by police they discovered they had missed his funeral.
Victim A was held captive in ‘truly shocking’ conditions on the travellers’ site in Lincolnshire, police said
A caravan on the travellers’ site which housed some of the victims held captive by the Rooney family
John and Bridget Rooney (pictured) are among the family members who were convicted
Lawrence Rooney (left) and Gerald Rooney (right) were also convicted of offences following a series of linked trials relating to modern slavery
Patrick Rooney (left) and Martin Rooney (right) were also convicted of the offences
His sister, who presumed her brother was dead while he was held captive, said he never received ‘adequate compensation’, being awarded just £12,428 by the court.
Seven years since the case, she has taken action to secure a payout from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), an agency of the Ministry of Justice.
The sister said the £352,000 compensation payment will pay for much needed care for her ‘lovely’ brother, the BBC first reported.
But lawyers have claimed the CICA was ‘not fit for purpose’ after 15 other men held captive alongside Victim A passed away before they could take the same action.
John Rooney (left) and Martin Rooney (right) were among the younger members of the slave gang
Peter Doran (left), Martin Rooney (centre) and Patrick Rooney (right) were also part of the gang who forced homeless people into slavery
The police said victims were ‘poorly fed’ and often went hungry while they lived in the caravans
A filthy interior in one of the caravans which the slaves had to live in
One of the caravans stayed in by the slaves shows a dirty litter box on the floor and a rubbish bag next to a visibly unwashed bed
Patrick Rooney’s sitting room, complete with three rugs, a large sofa and family photos on the walls
The inside of Patrick Rooney’s home is markedly different from the conditions in which the slaves were kept
Victim A’s sister said the lack of initial compensation meant her vulnerable brother could not pay for rehabilitation for injuries inflicted by his captors.
Solicitor Jamila Duncan-Bosu, from the Anti-trafficking and Exploitation Unit charity, said: ‘CICA is not fit for purpose when it comes to victims of modern day slavery, despite it being incredibly common.
‘Compensation is paramount for victims of trafficking, for rehabilitation and to help them rebuild their lives, to stop that cycle of exploitation.’
MailOnline has contacted the Ministry of Justice for comment.
