THE mother of a man who was allegedly forced to work on a Gwent horse-breeding farm for 13 years has told a court she believes her son could have been brainwashed.

Jean Simester yesterday gave evidence in the trial at Cardiff Crown Court and said she believes her son Darrell, 44, was held against his will at Cariad Farm in Peterstone.

Father and son Daniel Doran Sr, 67, known as ‘Big Dan’, and David Daniel Doran Jr, 42, known as ‘Young Dan’, are accused of forcing Mr Simester to look after their horses at the farm, which they both deny.

Yesterday a court heard how Mr Simester allegedly suffered malnutrition, poor teeth, difficulty walking and a hernia.

Sixty-three-year-old Mrs Simester told the court yesterday afternoon: “I honestly believe Darrell was held against his will, either bullied or brainwashed. His teeth, his feet, his hernia, his malnutrition. If he was in regular employment he wouldn’t look like that.”

Duncan Simester, Darrell’s younger brother, also gave evidence to the court and told of the family’s hunt to find his brother.

The court heard how Darrell disappeared from his home in Kidderminster in 2000 after going on holiday with a local family known in the area.

When he did not come back from holiday, Mrs Simester told the court she was concerned but had no way of tracking down her son except from a telephone number.

She said she received intermittent calls from Darrell between 2000 and 2008, but told the court she could always hear people in the background.

The jury heard how in February last year, after receiving information where Darrell might be found, the family drove to Peterstone and younger brother Duncan Simester spotted Darrell working near the gates to the farm.

Duncan said: “I got out of the car and walked up to my brother, he was shovelling horse manure.

“He was filthy, ripped clothes, a mess. His teeth were filthy. It was hard, he didn’t recognise me and didn’t have a clue who I was.

“He said he couldn’t talk to me as ‘they’ were watching him. He was really badly hunched up and looked like an old man.”

After getting back to the car, Duncan Simester told the court he alerted his parents and the police were called.

Proceeding.