James Dean Harrison, 51, from Shaftesbury Avenue in Keresley End, Coventry, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after forcing a man in his 60s to live in a dirty shed and work at a scrapyard for just £20 a day. Warwickshire Police confirmed Harrison pleaded guilty to requiring a person to perform forced labour on August 28 and was also served with a Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Order to pay £10,000 in compensation.
Exploitation and Abuse
The victim, who initially approached Harrison as a friend in need of help, was subjected to physical and verbal abuse between November 1, 2022, and February 23 this year. Harrison allegedly referred to the man as his "scrapyard dog" and beat him into working, unloading skips and cleaning lorry cabs at a scrapyard.
Harrison took the victim's bank cards away and began paying him £20 a day from the stolen accounts. Between 2023 and 2026, £63,600 was missing from the victim's account, which police say Harrison used to fund lavish holidays for himself.
Investigation and Arrest
Warwickshire Police began investigating Harrison after a local councillor alerted the force following a meeting with the victim and his partner. Investigators later discovered the victim had been living in a dirty shed in Harrison's garden. Harrison was arrested on February 25 and subsequently charged.
Investigating officer DC Hutt of the Trafficking and Exploitation Team said: "The treatment that Harrison subjected the victim to - stripping him of his dignity, his finances, and seriously impacting his health - was appalling in every way. He had approached Harrison as a friend in need of help, and Harrison chose to exploit him for labour and to defraud him of his money."
Community Role
DC Hutt added: "We might never have heard about this had it not been for the local community and their councillor. We thank them for calling this to our attention and allowing us to work to put Harrison in prison for his actions."
The case highlights the role of community vigilance in uncovering exploitation. The victim's ordeal ended with Harrison's arrest, and the reparation order requires him to compensate the victim for the financial harm caused.
