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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Geoffrey Bennett & Bradley Jolly

Evil couple made housemate live under the stairs 'like Harry Potter'

An evil couple who forced their housemate to sleep under the stairs and eat outside in the rain have been jailed.

Ion Boboc, 26, and Christiana Tudor-Dobre, 24, also made Gabriel Nicolae wash with a garden hose and go to the toilet in nearby woods.

Shocking photos shown in court show the 31-year-old victim washing dishes and clothes outside.

A court heard the heartless lovers told Mr Nicolae he was "too filthy" to be indoors in a reign of evil that lasted for months.

But Bristol Post says Boboc was yesterday jailed for four years and two months, and Tudor-Dobre was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.

The court heard Mr Nicolae slept under the stairs "like Harry Potter".

Mr Nicolae, pictured washing clothes in the garden, is now in secure accommodation (Avon and Somerset Police)
Gabriel Nicolae was made to live under a tiny cupboard under the stairs (SWNS.COM)

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Concerned neighbours in St Anne's, Bristol, called the police after seeing the victim wash in the garden.

The shared house was raided in July last year.

Taunton Crown Court heard Romanian national Mr Nicolae was unable to use the cooker alone, and couldn't drink from the tap inside.

Boboc also stabbed Mr Nicolae in the hand at one point.

Pictures released by Avon and Somerset police show him washing his housemate's clothes in the garden, in a basin fashioned from a pile of rocks.

Mr Nicolae was given just a handful of items, including a knife (SWNS.COM)

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The victim told police he saw the housemates as "family".

Mr Nicolae worked in an abattoir but Boboc and Tudor-Dobre controlled his account, making him pay hundreds of pounds in rent for a bed in a tiny cupboard under the stairs.

Mr Nicolae was also given just £1 a day, to buy biscuits as well as money for cannabis at the weekends.

The 31-year-old had to eat in the garden (Avon and Somerset Police)
The Romanian had to wash his dishes outside, the court heard (Avon and Somerset Police)

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He was forced to go hungry and steal food from shops.

Ion Boboc and Christiana Tudor-Dobre were found guilty of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, and fraud.

A third defendant, Mihai-Aurel Dan, was found not guilty of both charges.

Ion Boboc now faces a jail term (Avon and Somerset Police)
Christiana Tudor-Dobre and her partner have been jailed (Avon and Somerset Police)

Speaking after the conviction, PC Roger Ibrahim, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Without the information through the Modern Slavery Hotline this abuse would still be happening.

"When we found this man he appeared underfed and was suffering from sores on his feet. No one should be treated in this way.

"We’re very grateful to the anonymous person who alerted us to this situation. If you’re worried that someone is being subjected to modern day slavery, please contact us.

"You can call 101 or ring the helpline number 08000 121 700."

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