A FARM owner has been jailed for four and a half years for forcing a "vulnerable" man to work without pay for more than a decade.

David Daniel Doran Jr, 43, was on trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of forcing Darrell Simester to look after his horses at Cariad Farm, Peterstone, when he changed his plea to guilty.

Judge Neil Bidder said: "The way you treated Darrell Simester has fortunately been recognised as repellent and wrong by civilised societies in modern times.

"You provided him with a roof over his head and food but in truth you did not treat him better than a slave."

Doran Jr admitted on October 8 that he knew or ought to have known that Mr Simester, 45, was being required to perform such labour against his will.

His father, Daniel Doran Sr, 67, who was also standing trial for the same offence, had the charge against him dropped following his son’s guilty plea.

Mr Simester, from Kidderminster in Worcestershire, spent 13 years at the farm working 15 hour days and living in a rat-infested shed.

In that time he only had two days off, once to visit a fair in Brecon and another for a New Year’s Eve night out.

When he was found in February 2013, Mr Simester was suffering from a number of health issues including a tennis ball sized hernia in his groin, a lump on his back and dental problems.

He had been living in poor conditions, using a broken outdoor toilet and washing in an animal trough.

He had disappeared following a holiday with a Kidderminster family to Porthcawl in 2000.

His family told the court that they received intermittent phone calls from Mr Simester over the 13 years, which eventually stopped.

Doran Jr was sentenced for forcing Mr Simester to work between April 6 2010, when the legislation dealing with the offence was brought in, and March 1, 2013.

He will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.

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Catrin Attwell, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales Complex Casework Unit, said following the sentencing of Doran: “Over a prolonged period Darrell Simester was forced to work extremely long hours for no pay, in pitiful conditions and in a poor physical state.

“There is no place for any form of  modern day slavery in our communities. All of us within the criminal justice system are working hard to ensure that those who seek to exploit others in this way face the consequences of their actions.

“If there is a positive to be drawn from this case, I hope it will be to raise public awareness of this issue. People in the heart of our local communities are often the ones best placed to spot the signs of exploitation taking place."

Gwent Police Detective Superintendent Paul Griffiths, the senior investigating officer of Operation Imperial which brough Doran to justice, added: "The years of exploitation of Darrell Simester by Dan Doran Jnr was an appalling betrayal, which took advantage of Darrell’s vulnerable and timid nature.

"Throughout this investigation and trial, Darrell and his family have shown remarkable courage and resilience and I again pay tribute to them for their determination to help to bring an offender to justice.

"I sincerely hope that they can now move on with their lives.

"Whilst this kind of prosecution is rare, incidents of Slavery, Servitude and Forced labour continue to be identified across the UK. 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."

 

 

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The family of Darrell Simester made a statement outside Cardiff Crown Court, following the sentencing.

Mr Simester's father Tony delivered a statement to the media.

As well as thanking police for their tireless efforts, he urged people to be vigilant against modern day slavery.

He said: "What our son Darrell went through for 13 years was appalling and caused a lot of damage and harm. Thankfully since returning home, he continues to recover both mentally and physically.

"I have to ask the people of Wales and the rest of the UK to be extra vigilant at all times. This form of slavery could be happening right under your noses.

"Co-ordinated efforts between police and other agencies with the assistance of the public are required to stamp it out. I can only hope that by working together another family will be saved from the hardship we have encountered."

The Simester family added they would not be taking questions from reporters, but said they planned to say more about their ordeal at a "more appropriate time".