A BASILDON traveller was jailed for keeping a homeless man as his slave at the Oak Lane site in Crays Hill.

John Williams, now 37, was locked in a stable with barred windows, a broken heater, and two inches of water on the floor on Halloween in 1998.

He told Basildon Crown Court in 1999 he had been begging outside McDonalds in Victoria Street, London, at 3pm when approached by Thomas Duffy and offered labouring work.

He had been living rough for eight months after heading to London from South Wales in search of work - and thought the offer of work and accommodation was a lucky break.

He said: "We drove to Basildon and when we got to the site he ordered me to clean up the yard, and he took all my ID off me.

"When I told Tommy I had to go back to London, he said You're not going anywhere. You're here for six months. This is your home now. You don't want to cross me. I'm a traveller and I'll slit your throat."

He was taken to work at a house in Hullbridge. He said: "Tommy had to go and get some materials so I took my chance to escape.

"I ran as fast as I could for about two miles until I found this golf course. I collapsed by this greenkeeper. I was hysterical, he must have thought I was mad."

At the hearing, Thomas Duffy, now 50, Alexander Duffy and David Ratcliffe all admitted charges of false imprisonment.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, described Thomas Duffy as the ringleader.

The court heard Alexander Duffy, now 42 of no fixed address, and Ratcliffe, now 36, were also long-term recruits of Thomas Duffy, with 12 years and 10 years service respectively, and lived in a squalid caravan at Oak Lane, only receiving food as payment for their work.

Alexander was not even related to Thomas Duffy, but had taken the surname, after it was deemed he had become part of the family.

Alexander Duffy and David Ratcliffe received sentences of six months, but all three were released because they had already spent seven months in custody.