THREE family members jailed for nearly 25 years for treating two vulnerable men as “slaves” will have to pay them more than £26,000 in compensation.

Patrick Joseph Connors, 60, of Greenway Road, Rumney, Cardiff, his son Patrick Dean Connors, 40, of the same address and William Connors, 37, of Trowbridge Green, Cardiff, were convicted of offences against Michael Hughes and another victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after a trial at the city’s crown court in 2016.

Their convictions came after a Gwent Police operation.

The jury heard how Mr Hughes was “cowed” into carrying out forced labour at Ton Y Pill Farm in Peterstone.

At Cardiff Crown Court, in a Proceeds of Crime Act case heard in their absence, the trio were ordered by Judge Neil Bidder, QC, to pay financially for their crimes.

The judge was told it was uncertain whether Patrick Joseph Connors and Patrick Dean Connors had declined to attend court from prison but they had refused to leave their cells for previous hearings.

William Connors, the court heard, was feeling too ill to attend the case.

The judge ordered Patrick Joseph Connors to pay a total of £15,000 to be split equally between Mr Hughes and the other man, who was known throughout the trial as Mr K.

Patrick Dean Connors will have to hand over £6,912.64, £4,412.64 to the former and £2,500 to the latter.

William Connors must pay Mr Hughes £4,412.64.

Patrick Joseph Connors and Patrick Dean Connors will also have to each pay £16,500 towards the prosecution costs of their trial, which took place between April 18 and May 25, 2016.

A separate hearing will be heard for William Connors, who was represented by Terence Woods, on how much he will be forced to give towards prosecution costs.

Two years ago, a jury of 11 members unanimously found Patrick Joseph Connors, his son Patrick Dean Connors and his nephew William Connors guilty of requiring another to perform forced labour from April 2010 to January 2013.

Patrick Joseph Connors, the head of the family, was sentenced to a total of 14 years in jail for eight counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, four counts of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to kidnap and the forced labour charge.

Patrick Dean Connors was sentenced to six and a half years imprisonment for the charge of forced labour and one count of kidnapping.

William Connors was sentenced to four years in prison for the forced labour charge.

The forced labour charge related to Mr Hughes, a 46-year-old man at the time of the trial, originally from Scotland who came to Wales to find work when he was 18 years old.

The charges also related to Mr K, who was then aged 41.