Modern slavery accused helped man with banking, court told

Normunds Freibergs has denied arranging the travel of a person with a view to exploitation

A man accused of modern slavery offences registered a vulnerable Latvian man's bank account to his home address to help him, a court has heard.

Normunds Freiburgs told a jury he never accessed Rolands Kazoks' account or withdrew money without his permission.

Mr Kazoks said he was forced to work in a meat processing plant.

Mr Freiburgs, 40, of Morley Close, Newport, and two others deny requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.

He also denies arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation and as acting as an unlicensed gang master.

• Trio accused of modern slavery offences

• Vulnerable man had wages taken from him, court told

Jokubas Stankevicius, 59, and Ruta Stankeviciene, 57, both of Capel Crescent, Newport, are also on trial.

A court heard Jokubas Stankevicius was one of three accused of forcing Rolands Kazoks to work

Newport Crown Court heard Mr Freibergs arranged for Mr Kazoks to stay at the home of the Stankevicius couple when he arrived in Wales from Germany in November 2017.

The jury heard Mr Freibergs helped secure work for Mr Kazoks through a recruitment agency, Thomas Recruitment in Newport.

He first worked as a cleaner at a bakery in the city and later at the Avarra Foods meat processing plant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

During his 11 months working, he earned about £10,000 but the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority was alerted after staff at the meat processing plant noticed Mr Kazoks was wearing sliders "in all weathers" and shabby clothing.

They arranged a collection to buy him a pair of trainers and later told investigators he would stare at their hot meals in the canteen during breaks.

Mr Kazoks stayed in a small room in Ruta Stankeviciene (pictured) and Jokubas Stankevicius' home

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Freibergs said: "He thought he would be able to do everything by himself, but because of his English he was not able to. He asked for my help."

He also said he bought work boots for Mr Kazoks, but he was embarrassed because he did not have the money to repay him.

The jury has been shown CCTV images of Mr and Mrs Stankevicius regularly withdrawing money from Mr Kazoks' accounts in the early hours of Friday mornings, minutes after he had been paid.

They told him he would get his wages when he had paid his debts to them for rent and bills, but he was left penniless, the court heard.

The trial continues.