Family sentenced to 27 years for keeping two men slaves
Three family members have been found guilty of forcing two men to do heavy labour in Cardiff and sentenced to a total of 27 years.
Patrick Joseph Connors who is 59 and his sons, Patrick Dean Connors and William Connors, kidnapped two men to keep them as "slaves" for up to 26 years.
Patrick Joseph Connors, Patrick Dean Connors and William Connors were all found guilty of forcing Michael Hughes and "Mr K" to undergo forced labour.
Connors senior was jailed for 14 years, Patrick Dean for six-and-a-half years and William for four years.
Patrick Joseph Connors' son-in-law Lee Carbis, who was cleared of forced labour, but found guilty of kidnap, was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
The Cardiff gang forced two homeless men, Michael Hughes and another man who can only be identified as "Mr K", to live and work in "atrocious conditions" for as little as £10 a day.
The men were made to sleep in sheds without heating or running water.
They were put to work as labourers for tarmacking and general building and threatened with violence if they tried to escape.
The victims managed to escape the Connors' gang once but were quickly hunted down and beaten as punishment at the family property in Cardiff.
Mr Hughes, who is 46, later ran away to Aberdeen - only to turn up at the local job centre to see Patrick Joseph Connors and his eldest son there.
He was bundled 'in the boot of their car' and sent back to Wales.
Patrick Joseph Connors guilty of 8 counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, 1 count of conspiracy to kidnap, 1 count of forced labour and 4 counts of kidnap. Sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Patrick Dean Connors guilty of 1 count of kidnap and 1 count of forced labour. Sentenced to 6 and a half years.
William Connors sentenced to 4 years for 1 count of forced labour.
Lee Carbis sentenced to 2 and a half years for 1 count of kidnap.