THREE people who exploited and abused a vulnerable worker have been found guilty of modern slavery offences.

A jury at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday found Normunds Freibergs and his accomplices Jacobus Stankevicius and Ruta Stankeviciene had forced their victim to work to pay off an ever-increasing “debt” while pilfering his wages.

Freibergs housed the victim with spouses Stankevicius and Stankeviciene in Newport, controlled his passport and bank card, stole parcels sent by family members and threatened him with violence if he tried to leave.

His perceived debt grew to around £2,000, half of which was made up of interest, and his rent almost doubled to £150 per week.

Investigators from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority arrested the trio during an operation with Gwent Police in October 2018 after concerns were raised by staff at a poultry processing factory in Abergavenny, where the victim was working.

The victim began working at the poultry factory shortly before Christmas in 2017, earning up to £500 per week.

Gayle Ramsay from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This is an appalling case of exploitation where a victim was trafficked for modern slavery purposes and subjected to a life of misery — purely to line the defendants’ pockets.”

The three will be sentenced on October 28.