UK slavery victim made to dig his own grave

Nine members of a UK 'traveller' family who kept workers in wretched conditions have been jailed for modern day slavery offences.

One victim was made to dig his own grave while suffering horrific conditions over a quarter of a century, BBC reports.

The chilling details came to light in the trial of the Rooney family members at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday.

Martin Rooney Senior, the head of the family of travellers - whose heritage is traced to Irish nomadic peoples - was jailed for 10 years, while two of his sons were each jailed for more than 15 years.

The Rooneys' victims were subjected to beatings and survived without running water or toilets at a site at Drinsey Nook in Lincolnshire, central England.

The court heard of one victim's terrifying ordeal which spanned 25 years

On one occasion, he was made to dig his own grave if he did not agree to a lifetime of servitude.

In another incident, a man was beaten with a shovel and left injured in a caravan for days after returning a vehicle with no petrol.

Judge Timothy Spencer said Martin Rooney Senior had brought his sons up in a "criminal culture".

The judge also contrasted the lavish lifestyle of the family with the squalid conditions of the victims.

"It was like the gulf between medieval royalty and peasantry," he told the court.

The victims were described as vulnerable adults, aged between 18 and 63, who were often homeless and had been picked up by the defendants.

Judge Spencer also described how the family used food as a means of controlling their victims.

"They knew if they wanted to eat, they had to stay at Drinsey Nook," he said.