A MAN has admitted a 13-year period of forced labour at his farm near Newport.
David Daniel Doran Jr, 42, was standing trial charged with forcing Darrell Simester to work on a horse-breeding farm between 2000 and 2013.
He had originally denied the offence which took place at Cariad Farm, Peterstone, but today changed his plea to guilty.
His father, Daniel Doran Sr, 67, who was also standing trial charged with the same offence, had the charge against him dropped.
But Doran Jr admitted at Cardiff Crown Court he knew or ought to have known that Darrell Simester, 45, was being required to perform such labour against his will.
Mr Simester was discovered to be working at the farm in February last year after he disappeared following a holiday to Porthcawl in 2000.
His family told the court how they had received only intermittent phone calls from him during the 13-year period.
The farmworker was found to be living in a caravan with only a stable to wash in, and suffered malnutrition, poor teeth, difficulty walking and a hernia.
Crown prosecutor John Hipkin told the court the charge against Doran Sr would be dropped due to weakened evidence.
He said: “Having carried out a careful review of the evidence and having the benefit of the summation of the law, the position is we have considered the case and consulted the Simester family, the crown has dropped the charge.”
Speaking about Doran Jr, Judge Neil Bidder said: “This is a case of 13 years of exploitation and the defendant faces a custodial sentence.”
He told the jury: “You have heard very interesting, and very sad, evidence.”
The jury heard prosecution evidence from Darrell’s parents, Jean and Anthony Simester, his brother, Duncan Simester, as well as police officers and medical experts.
Following the case, Detective Superintendent Paul Griffiths, senior investigating officer, told the Argus that Gwent Police became involved in the case when West Mercia Police contacted them after the Simester family had been in touch worried about Darrell.
A major investigation was launched, called Operation Imperial, which saw officers look into the abuse of vulnerable adults in Gwent and attend Cariad Farm and arrest the Dorans.
Det Supt Griffiths said they found Darrell in February 2013 in a poor condition. They spent five months working with the Simester family and providing the appropriate care and attention Mr Simester needed.
He added: “We needed to allow Darrell to re-integrate back into his family life. Once we got a rapport going with him and his trust and confidence, he started to tell the story.
“One of the most obvious ways of proving forced labour to the public is the use of violence however this case counted when the defendant, knowing the vulnerability and weakness of the individual, controlled him in such a way that he worked for him with our any sort of payment or reward for what he could achieve.
“First and foremost is paying particular respect to Darrell Simester and his family for their fortitude and their strength in giving evidence in this case.
“We are pleased with the guilty plea, we think it sends a message out to victims that we can help support them.
"Whilst this kind of prosecution is rare, incidents of slavery, servitude and forced labour are being identified across the UK. Gwent Police remain committed to working with partners in supporting vulnerable victims and prosecuting the offenders.
"This kind of exploitation has no place in our modern society and I would urge anyone with concerns or suspicions that this kind of criminality is occurring in their community to ring 101 or provide any information completely anonymously by ringing Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“This sends a strong message ahead of next week’s Anti-Slavery Week in Wales.”
Operation Imperial has seen further arrests made relating to the abuse of vulnerable adults in the Gwent area aside from the Simester case, with a number of investigations still ongoing.
Catrin Attwell, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales Complex Casework Unit, said: "This has been a complex case to bring before the court. Today's guilty plea from David Daniel Doran is testament both to the courage of Darrell Simester and his family and to the hard work of the investigating and prosecuting teams who built the case against him. After careful consideration, The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to pursue the case against Daniel Doran.
"Over a number of years, David Daniel Doran preyed on Darrell Simester's vulnerability. The prosecution was able to establish that his actions amounted to the use of force in keeping Darrell Simester working at the farm.
"This case demonstrates that modern day slavery exists within our local communities. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to working with out partners to ensure that those who seek to exploit others in this way are made to face the consequences of their actions.
"I hope that today's guilty plea will help Darrell Simester and his family as they seek to move forward with their lives."
Doran Jr is due to be sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on October 24.
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