Forced Labour trial: Pair guilty after making man live under stairs

The victim was forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, jurors heard

Two people who faced slavery charges after forcing their housemate to live under the stairs have been found guilty.

Ion Boboc and Christiana Tudor-Dobre of Evans Close, Bristol, described Gabriel Nicolae as "filthy" and made him eat outside during the abuse.

They were found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and fraud.

A third defendant, Mihai-Aurel Dan, was found not guilty of both charges.

Bristol Crown Court heard police raided the property in St Anne's, Bristol, last July, after being tipped off by concerned neighbours.

Gabriel Nicolae was photographed by neighbours washing clothes by hand

During the trial the court heard Romanian national, Mr Nicolae, was made to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, was refused permission to use the bathroom and would have to go to nearby woods if he needed the toilet.

The jury also heard he was not allowed to cook food on his own, was told he was too filthy, and had to eat outside even in the rain.

He was not allowed to have a shower and would wash using a garden hose, which he also had to drink from as he was not allowed to use the kitchen tap.

He was photographed by neighbours washing his housemate's clothes by hand in a makeshift sink made of rocks.

At one point he was also stabbed in the hand by Boboc.

The fraud charges related to Mr Nicolae's bank account, which was being controlled by Tudor-Dobre and her partner Boboc.

They stole the wages he earned from a job at an abattoir, and only gave him a small amount of money, forcing him to go hungry or steal from shops.

The pair are due to be sentenced on 19 March.