£500,000 legal bill as jury clears Huddersfield Three of people trafficking

Wojciech Cwikla, 48, was alleged to have arranged for Polish migrant worker Katarzyna Bluhm to travel to West Yorkshire so he could exploit her by helping her to get a job and keeping most of her wages.

During the first trial, which began in November last year, it was alleged that Cwikla drove Ms Bhulm to and from work, controlled her accommodation and only gave her £36-a-week out of her earnings.

In April 2009 Ms Bluhm cut her wrist and elbow with a razor and it was alleged that Cwikla took her out of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary still attached to a drip.

But when he was questioned about Ms Bluhm’s allegations Cwikla said they were all lies and denied taking money from her or assaulting her.

Ms Bluhm’s credibility was a key issue in the case and during the first trial it emerged that prior to giving her evidence in court she had been interviewed for a TV documentary.

During that interview Ms Bluhm made further serious allegations and after defence lawyers requested disclosure of the material the judge criticised the disruption caused to the first trial.

“The delay is a as a direct result, in my judgment, of the unwise decision taken by the television production company to interview the complainant in the manner that they have prior to the trial starting,” said Judge John Potter in a ruling that could not be published until now.

“This has been compounded by the Crown failing to disclose the existence of this material prior to the first day of trial despite the police being aware of its potential evidential significance.

“This has caused significant public cost in the trial being delayed and other cases being moved in consequence.”

Although Judge Potter allowed the first trial to continue he said he accepted that the police had been “seriously at fault” for failing to obtain the relevant material before trial.

“If the police did indeed have the opportunity to intercede and prevent the television company from proceeding with the interview then this should have occurred,” the judge added.

At the close of the prosecution case in the first trial further legal arguments led to the case being halted for a point of law to be considered by the Court of Appeal in London.

Eventually the case began again as a re-trial last month and after hearing evidence and arguments over the last five weeks the jury yesterday returned not guilty verdicts on all but one charge.

Cwikla, his wife Barbara Markowska, 43, and son Robert, 27, were all cleared of involvement in trafficking Ms Bluhm for exploitation following her arrival in this country in June 2008.

Wojciech Cwikla, of Alder Street, Hillhouse, was also found not guilty of trafficking Ms Bhulm for exploitation by arranging for her to travel to the UK.

Robert Cwikla, of Macaulay Street, faced another allegation relating to his possession of £4,740 in £20 notes which the prosecution said was some of Ms Bluhm’s wages from her work at a food company in Liversedge.

The jury acquitted Robert Cwikla on that charge.

Wojciech Cwikla was cleared of assaulting Ms Bluhm, but the jury convicted him of common assault in relation to an attack on a male friend of hers.

After being told that Wojciech Cwikla had already spent five months in custody during the course of the proceedings Judge Potter sentenced him to a 12-month conditional discharge for the offence of common assault.