Modern slavery: Latvian man allegedly made to work in factory

A vulnerable man was forced to clean a couple's home after being told "your job is to do the jobs we can't do", a court heard.

Latvian Rolands Kazoks, 31, described coming to Wales in search of a better life, but being forced to work in a meat processing plant, with his wages kept and passport taken.

Newport Crown Court heard he was not allowed to wash his clothes every day.

Three people deny requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.

Normunds Freibergs, 40, of Morley Close, Jokubas Stankevicius, 59, and Ruta Stankeviciene, 57, both of Capel Crescent, Newport, are on trial, charged with the offence.

Mr Freibergs also denies arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, and acting as an unlicensed gangmaster.

It is alleged he had made the arrangements for Mr Kazoks to travel to the UK from Germany in November 2017, with a job found for him at an Abergavenny processing plant.

Jurors heard the complainant lived in a small room of a terraced house with Mr Stankevicius and his wife Mrs Stankeviciene in the Pillgwenlly area of Newport.

He was told his wages were being used to pay off debts he had incurred in being brought to Wales.

In video interviews played to the court, he described wanting to start a new life, but it soon became apparent something was wrong.

"I was not allowed to wash my clothes every day, they were dirty from the meat. The room was smelly," Mr Kazoks said.

He described being asked to scrub the house once a week and to clear the garden, saying he was told: "Your job is to do the jobs we can't do."

Mr Kazoks also said Mrs Stankeviciene verbally abused him, adding: "She said I eat too much, I am too dirty… she called me a pig and an invalid and all sorts of negative names."

Despite getting jobs in various factories, the court heard his debt to the three defendants spiralled as they erroneously charged him for things such as £50 for a National Insurance number, and £300 for getting him a job in a chicken factory.

The jury heard he was told he would not be given his earnings until he paid off sums which were written on a piece of paper stuck on a fridge, and ran into thousands of pounds.

He told investigators: "Sometimes I asked for money, they told me, 'when you return all the money you owe, you can buy whatever you want'."

But they added interest and extra costs included £95 more for internet use and £150 "because of Brexit".

He described being threatened with being thrown out on to the street and not being allowed to have his passport back.

The court heard colleagues at the processing plant became concerned when he came to work wearing sandals in winter.

They shared food with him after they noticed him watching them eat.

In October 2018, the court heard, he went with a colleague to the company's HR department and said he was "ready to talk".

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and police were called and the three defendants were arrested.

All three denied the allegations and claimed to have "felt sorry" for the victim and helped him gain work.