Father and son are jailed over slavery charges

A father and son who forced destitute men into servitude have been jailed.

Tommy Connors Senior, 53, was jailed for eight years and his son Patrick, 21, for five years at Luton Crown Court yesterday, Bedfordshire Police said. The pair, from Little Billington, Leighton Buzzard, were convicted last July of servitude, compulsory labour and assault charges after a trial at the court and were sentenced after a separate trial failed to reach verdicts on other charges against both men and two more of Connors Senior’s sons, James Connors, 25, and Tommy Junior Connors, 27.

The jury at Luton Crown Court was discharged after failing to reach verdicts and the Crown Prosecution Service said it would not be pursuing a retrial.

The daughter of Connors Senior and her husband were jailed over slavery charges last year – Josie Connors, 31 and James John Connors, 34, were sentenced to four years and 11 years respectively.