James McCann jailed over worker living in shed

James McCann made his victim live first in a tent, then a shed

A man who kept a slave in a shed with no toilet and sent him to work for a pittance has been jailed.

James McCann forced the Hungarian national to live in a tent next to his caravan at Blyth beach, before moving him into a metal shed in the garden of his partner's home in the town.

Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the 69-year-old admitted an offence under the Modern Slavery Act.

Father-of-15 McCann was jailed for two years and nine months.

The court was told the victim - who has since died of an unrelated illness - was found by Northumbria Police in November 2017 in a "dirty and dishevelled" state.

He had arrived in the UK in 2007 and worked in various places in the south of England, living on the streets for a time until someone started giving him odd jobs for £30 to £40 a day.

This man then passed him on to McCann, who took him to the North East in 2017.

McCann's victim was made to sleep on a camp bed

McCann's victim was initially made to live in a tent near a beach, where he had to use public toilets, sometimes wash in the sea and was forbidden to access McCann's caravan even if he was not in it.

He was later moved to the shed which had no sink, washing facilities or toilet and he had to go to a local store to use the toilet and was unable to wash his clothes.

The only time he was allowed in the house was to help with chores.

McCann put the victim to work and would pay him £10 to £20 a day for jobs like pressure washing drives or gardening.

The shed was in the back garden of a property

Prosecutor Vince Ward said the man had no family or friends in the UK and spoke very little English.

"He knew he was being exploited but said it was better for him than living on the streets," he said.

"But he said he might have caught hypothermia and not survived had they not found him."

Joe Hedworth, defending McCann, said his client did not use or threaten violence and his understanding of the offending was limited.

Mr Hedworth added McCann would have offered a "sincere apology" to his victim "if he was still with us, for the distress he caused, unintentionally".

"He lived in that shed for a significant period of time himself," Mr Hedworth said.

There was limited space inside the shed

McCann, who was brought up in the travelling community and is now of Green Road, Kinross, Scotland, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Modern Slavery Act of holding the victim in slavery between 1 and 30 November 2017.

Judge Edward Bindloss said: "In the shed it was a limited space, with an unfit door and there was a camp bed with a dirty sleeping bag on it.

"There was no toilet or sink or laundry and he had to use a toilet in a supermarket because he was not allowed in the house.

"These offences are always serious because of the lack of autonomy given to a person in his position."

Det Con Neil Harrison, who led the investigation, said it was "especially poignant that the victim was not able to see justice being served".

"It is abundantly clear that McCann exploited his victim - in a different country with no friends or family and limited English - for cheap labour," he said.

"McCann should be absolutely ashamed of himself."

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