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Connors family servitude retrial: Jury discharged Connors family members jailed for servitude offences
(about 1 hour later)
The case against four members of a Bedfordshire traveller family accused of keeping vulnerable men captive to work unpaid has collapsed. A father and son have been jailed for keeping vulnerable men captive and forcing them to work.
Tommy Connors Sr, 53, and his sons Tommy Jr, 27, James, 25 and Patrick, 21, had denied keeping the men in servitude. Tommy Connors Sr, 53, was jailed for eight years and his son Patrick, 21, for five years at Luton Crown Court.
A jury at Luton Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on any of the charges against them. Both men, from Bedfordshire, had been found guilty in July 2012 of servitude, compulsory labour and assault charges.
The Crown Prosecution Service is considering if there will be a retrial. But a jury was discharged at a separate trial after failing to reach verdicts on other charges against both men and James Connors, 25, and Tommy Jr, 27.
The jury in the case had been deliberating for more than two days. A jury at Luton Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on any of the charges against them after deliberating for more than two days.
Judge Michael Kay told them: "The time has now come that I must discharge you on the basis that you have been trying for almost three days. Thank you for your efforts." The Crown Prosecution Service said it would not be pursuing a retrial.
The four defendants each faced three charges of conspiracy to keep a person in servitude and three charges of conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.
'Long, hard struggle'
The court heard homeless men were given accommodation at the Green Acres site at Little Billington, near Leighton Buzzard.
Jurors were told the men worked laying block paving but were threatened with violence if they asked for wages.
The family said the men were free to come and go at any time.
Andy Smith, solicitor for three of the defendants, said: "It has been a long, hard struggle for all members of the Connors family and the wider Irish travelling community.
"As you are aware, a number of my clients have been exonerated after two lengthy and arduous crown court trials."