THE JURY hearing allegations of men forced into labour by a Gloucestershire family of Irish Travellers has retired to consider its verdict.
His Honour Judge Michael Longman this afternoon urged the jury of eight men and four women to consider all the evidence heard during the trial over the last three months.
He was summing up at the Bristol Crown Court trial of five members of the Connors family.
The accused are William, 52, James, 20, Brida, 48, of Bamfurlong Lane, John, 29, of Beggars Roost Caravan Park, Staverton, and Miles, 23, of Mary Street, Bradford,
All defendants have been found not guilty of the charge of servitude but count two – conspiracy to require a person to carry out forced or compulsory labour – remains on the indictment. All five deny the charge.
The three month trial was the culmination of years of work by police as part of Operation Tundra and a seven month surveillance operation.
The family is alleged to have put the men to work on drives and patios around Gloucestershire under various names, including Designer Drives & Patios, and Sofisicated Drives.
Judge Longman continued his summing up of evidence before the jury retired yesterday afternoon.
See tomorrow's editions of The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo for more.
His Honour Judge Michael Longman this afternoon urged the jury of eight men and four women to consider all the evidence heard during the trial over the last three months.
He was summing up at the Bristol Crown Court trial of five members of the Connors family.
The accused are William, 52, James, 20, Brida, 48, of Bamfurlong Lane, John, 29, of Beggars Roost Caravan Park, Staverton, and Miles, 23, of Mary Street, Bradford,
All defendants have been found not guilty of the charge of servitude but count two – conspiracy to require a person to carry out forced or compulsory labour – remains on the indictment. All five deny the charge.
The three month trial was the culmination of years of work by police as part of Operation Tundra and a seven month surveillance operation.
The family is alleged to have put the men to work on drives and patios around Gloucestershire under various names, including Designer Drives & Patios, and Sofisicated Drives.
Judge Longman continued his summing up of evidence before the jury retired yesterday afternoon.
See tomorrow's editions of The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo for more.