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image captionThree men are accused of using modern-day slaves to run the Shiny car wash in Carlisle
A man alleged to have been held as a modern-day slave was made to work at a car wash seven days a week and sleep in cramped conditions with 11 other people, a court has heard.
He said he was made to work after paying a company €150 (£130) to bring him to the UK in 2016.
Three men deny modern-day slavery charges.
The man said he arrived in Carlisle on a Sunday after a two-day journey and began work at the Warwick Road car wash the next day.
Credit: ITV News
An employee of a Carlisle car wash at the centre of alleged modern slavery crimes has told a jury of working long hours for little pay, and having to buy gloves from a supermarket to protect his hands from cleaning chemicals.
Giving evidence at the city’s crown court on Friday the man recalled paying a company 150 euros to transport him by coach from his native Romania to Carlisle in 2016.
After a two-day journey he arrived on a Sunday, was housed in multi-occupancy accommodation at Compton Street, and began work at Shiny on Warwick Road the very next day.
1/1 THE alleged leader of a criminal plot to exploit Carlisle car wash workers viewed an online newspaper article reporting an immigration visit to the site while he was in Slovenia, a jury has heard. Three men are on trial at the city’s crown court. Defrim Paci, 42, his 37-year-old brother Jetmir Paci and Sitar Ali, aged 33, all stand accused of modern slavery crimes involving Romanian nationals who worked at the Shiny hand car wash in Warwick Road during 2016 and 2017. Defrim Paci is alleged by the prosecution to have “operated at the top of the conspiracy”, having been “responsible for buying the land and setting up the venture.
Trio in court accused of Carlisle car wash modern slavery crimes
Three men have gone on trial facing modern slavery allegations which centre on a Carlisle car wash and men who were transported from abroad to work there.
Defrim Paci, 42, his 37-year-old brother Jetmir Paci and Sitar Ali, aged 33, all stand accused of involvement in the exploitation of Romanian nationals who worked at the Warwick Road business during 2016 and 2017.
Prosecutor Martin Reid told a Carlisle Crown Court jury today: “This case is all about forced labour and arranging for people to come to the UK with a view to their being exploited.”
Accused: Jetmir Paci EMPLOYEES at a Carlisle car wash were burned by chemicals and “compelled to work long hours in bad conditions for little pay” during alleged exploitation after being transported to the city from abroad, a court heard. Defrim Paci, 42, his brother Jetmir Paci, 37, and Sitar Ali, aged 33, all stand accused of modern slavery crimes committed against Romanian nationals at Shiny, Warwick Road, during 2016 and 2017. Prosecutor Martin Reid told a Carlisle Crown Court jury: “This case is all about forced labour and arranging for people to come to the UK with a view to their being exploited.” Mr Reid said: “Defrim Paci operated at the top of the conspiracy”, while his brother, Jetmir, was involved in building work at the hand car wash, along with the transportation of staff. This was managed by Ali, whose responsibilities included daily treatment of staff, their wages and payment for their transport to this country, plus their accomm