Man Kept Vulnerable Worker As Slave In Cramped Shed For 40 years

A man in the UK has admitted to exploiting a vulnerable worker while the victim was kept as a slave inside a cramped shed for 40 years.

Peter Swailes, 56, from northwest England pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charges of facilitating the travel of another with a view to exploitation, while he was awaiting the trial on modern slavery charges. He had previously denied the charges along with his 81-year-old father who was accused of the same offenses. However, Swailes's father died in September 2021, before the trial, Sky News reported.

The brutal exploitation came to light after investigators received a tip-off at a confidential helpline in October 2018. The officers who responded to Swailes's property found the 58-year-old victim who appeared disheveled and agitated, living inside a 6 ft shed that had no heating. Inside the cramped structure, there was a soiled duvet on the floor and a metered television. The shed had only a window that could not be closed properly and was in complete darkness when the door was closed.

The investigators found another shed on Swailes's property that was used for the family dog and observed that it was in a far better condition than the man's shed, as reported by BBC.

During an interview with the victim, he told the officers that he has been working for Swailes since the age of 16 and got paid as little as £10 ($13) per day. The victim said he was made to work on farms and his work included painting, slating and tarmacking.

The victim who was rescued from the site was shifted to a supported accommodation where he has been cared for, authorities said. "He has accommodation that he is extremely happy with. He is in regular contact. He has a carer who comes in and checks him. He will be cared for until the end of his life," the prosecutor told the court.

Meanwhile, the investigating officers said the three-year-long probe was a harrowing experience for all of them.

"In all my years in law enforcement, I have never known a modern slavery case where the exploitation has taken place over such a long period of time," Martin Plimmer, a senior investigating officer said.

The court has granted bail for Swailes and his sentencing was scheduled on Feb.4.