EXCLUSIVE Call this justice? Family of millionaire travellers who kept homeless men as slaves in filthy caravans are ALL out of jail and back at work - while 15 of their victims have died without ever getting compensation By Nick Craven Published: 05:44 EDT, 12 August 2024 | Updated: 05:45 EDT, 12 August 2024 e-mail View comments A family of millionaire travellers jailed for keeping vulnerable men for years as modern slaves are out of jail and back in business paving driveways, MailOnline can reveal. The Rooney family sparked a national wave of revulsion in 2017 when they received sentences of up to 15 years for imprisoning mostly homeless men, beating them and giving them scraps to eat as they were used as forced labourers in their site in Lincolnshire. This week the first of their victims to be awarded compensation was given £352,000 after suing the government for denying him adequate compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
But the legal process took so long that 15 other men held as slaves have died while waiting for a just payment – and the 11 members of the Rooney gang have all been released in the meantime. Some of the run-down buildings where the Rooneys held their victims in appalling conditions are being or have been demolished as our exclusive photos show, but according to locals, the family still live on the site near Saxilby, Lincs. John and Bridget Rooney (pictured) are among the family members who were convicted The Rooney family compound near Saxilby, Lincolnshire, where people were kept as slaves for years A pile of old belongings on the Rooney compound where vulnerable men were kept as slaves Victim A was held captive in 'truly shocking' conditions on the travellers' site in Lincolnshire, police said Patrick Rooney (left) and Martin Rooney (right) were also convicted of the offences A caravan on the travellers' site which housed some of the victims held captive by the Rooney family Caravans can be seen on the Rooney compound where the family kept men as prisoners There are also several work vehicles and vans among piles of rubbish including discarded white goods on the sprawling site.
The five-acre plot was auctioned for £340,000 in 2022 on the orders of the official receiver, but it appears the Rooneys have agreed with the new owner – a businesswoman who owns a static caravan site 30 miles away – that they can remain there. Many of the family are listed on the current 2024 electoral roll as living at the site. One neighbour, who asked not to be named said the Rooneys' firm was still run from the site where their crimes were committed more than 10 years ago.
'They're notorious,' said the local, 'and people around here give them a wide berth. 'No-one had any idea of the horrors that were going on there but nothing surprises me about that family.' In all, 18 men were forced to be slaves and live in terrible living conditions.
They had little or no access to basics such as heating, water and toilets Peter Doran (left), Martin Rooney (centre) and Patrick Rooney (right) were also part of the gang who forced homeless people into slavery John Rooney (left) and Martin Rooney (right) were among the younger members of the slave gang Lawrence Rooney (left) and Gerald Rooney (right) were also convicted of offences following a series of linked trials relating to modern slavery The Rooney family compound near Saxilby, Lincolnshire where people were kept prisoner Caravans are seen on the Rooney compound where homeless and vulnerable men were forced to work as slaves One victim of the family was kept a 'captive' by members of the family and forced to work 12-hour days, seven-days-a-week for 26 years. He was threatened in particular by John Rooney, in his 30s, who made him dig his own grave. In an emotional account of his life, the man's sister told how he was beaten with a rake when he overslept, had his teeth smashed with a concrete slab and had been left 'psychologically damaged' by his dreadful ordeal.
Telling of her brother's ordeal at the gang's hands, the victim's sister said: 'He was asked to sign a contract by John Rooney - a contract which would have been out of his understanding. 'And John Rooney said to him, 'you're going to work for me for the rest of your life'. Read More Man kept as a slave for 20 years by millionaire traveller family gang wins £352,000 payout 'My brother replied 'oh, I don't know about that'.
Prior to that conversation, John Rooney had actually made him dig a hole. 'And my brother said to him ''how much further do you want me to dig down?'' 'And he (John) said 'keep digging' and at the end of the conversation said to him ''if you don't sign this contract, that's where you're going, in that hole''. 'We think he was captured for up to 26 years.
' The 11-member gang were jailed for exploiting a number of victims, who were often homeless people or men with learning disabilities. The Rooneys amassed a £4million fortune from their driveway business, and were ordered at a Proceeds of Crime hearing in 2019 to pay just £1million of it back, mostly to their victims. But Victim A, who was in his fifties, waited so long for compensation that his captors have now been released from prison.
The court initially offered Victim A just £12,428 under the Proceeds of Crime Act, leading his family to sue the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), an agency of the Ministry of Justice. Seven years on, the man has successfully received £352,000 in government compensation funded by the taxpayer, which his sister said will pay for his round-the-clock care. Fifteen other men held as slaves alongside Victim A passed away before they could claim the same level of compensation.
One of the labourers ended up dying without the knowledge of his family, who later discovered they had missed his funeral. The police said victims were 'poorly fed' and often went hungry while they lived in the caravans Building work being carried out on John Rooney's house The inside of Patrick Rooney's home is markedly different from the conditions in which the slaves were kept Victim A's sister said the lack of initial compensation meant her vulnerable brother could not pay for rehabilitation for injuries inflicted by his captors. The gang members, who were convicted of fraud and slavery charges, enjoyed holidays to Barbados, cosmetic surgery and even shelled out on a Manchester United soccer school - earned off the backs of their workers.
The slaves, aged 18 to 63, were freed after raids by Lincolnshire Police and the National Crime Agency were carried out in 2014. Some gang members also targeted four elderly home-owners, getting them to sign over properties into their names and selling three on for profit - one for £250,000. Members of the Rooney family would go looking for victims on the streets, hostels and shelters, offering work for food and accommodation.
Martin Rooney Senior and Bridget Rooney were described as the 'patriarch and the matriarch' of the enterprise. Labourers were forced to live in shabby run-down caravans, or in stables next to kennels, with little or no access to basics such as heating, water and toilets. Some were forced to squat in woods behind their living areas, while electricity was 'dangerously' tapped from a nearby pylon.
In all, 18 men were forced to work at the sites or for the Rooneys' businesses, repairing properties and tarmacking drives. The police said victims were also 'poorly fed' and often went hungry - or were given the 'family's left-overs', even though they were worked for hours on hard, manual tasks. For the convicted gang-members, there were luxurious holidays to Australia, Egypt and Mexico, high-performance BMWs, spa days and cosmetic surgery.
A filthy interior in one of the caravans which the slaves had to live in One of the caravans stayed in by the slaves shows a dirty litter box on the floor and a rubbish bag next to a visibly unwashed bed Patrick Rooney's sitting room, complete with three rugs, a large sofa and family photos on the walls Peter Doran (pictured) arrives at Nottingham Crown Court on September 7, 2017 Gerard Rooney (left) and Martin Rooney (right) arrive at Nottingham Crown Court on September 7, 2017 Patrick Rooney (pictured) arrives at Nottingham Crown Court on September 7, 2017 Gang member Bridget Rooney arrives at Nottingham Crown Court on September 7, 2017 Lawyers said the CICA was 'not fit for purpose' after most of the men held captive died before they could claim adequate compensation. Solicitor Jamila Duncan-Bosu, from the Anti-trafficking and Exploitation Unit charity, said: 'CICA is not fit for purpose when it comes to victims of modern day slavery, despite it being incredibly common. 'Compensation is paramount for victims of trafficking, for rehabilitation and to help them rebuild their lives, to stop that cycle of exploitation.
' Solicitor Liam Symonds, of the law firm Freshfields, who represented Victim A on a pro bono basis, said he hopes the case 'might be...
a platform for other survivors'. A Government spokesperson said: 'This was an awful crime and our thoughts remain with the affected individual and his family. 'The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority provides compensation to people who were injured as a result of a violent crime and has paid out over £165million to victims in 2023/24.
'We recognise that payment can never fully compensate for the injuries suffered but it can often help brave survivors move on with their lives.' A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The Rooney family's crimes were horrific and our thoughts remain with those affected. 'All offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and we do not hesitate to recall them to custody if they break the rules.
' Victim was told to 'dig your own grave' if he did not sign a bogus work contract One victim was kept a 'captive' by members of the Rooney family on a Lincolnshire traveller site and forced to work 12-hour days, seven-days-a-week for 26 years. In an emotional account of his life, the man's sister told how he was beaten with a rake when he overslept, had his teeth smashed with a concrete slab and had been left 'psychologically damaged' by his dreadful ordeal. Telling of her brother's ordeal at the gang's hands, the victim's sister said: 'He was asked to sign a contract by John Rooney - a contract would have been out of his understanding.
'And John Rooney said to him, 'you're going to work for me for the rest of your life'. 'My brother replied 'oh, I don't know about that'. Prior to that conversation, John Rooney had actually made him dig a hole.
'And my brother said to him ''how much further do you want me to dig down?'' 'And he (John) said 'keep digging' and at the end of the conversation said to him ''if you don't sign this contract, that's where you're going, in that hole''. 'We think he was captured for up to 26 years.' Advertisement Who in the family was convicted of what crimes? John Rooney , of Saxilby – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, Conspiracy to defraud, Fraud by false representation, Theft (two counts).
Patrick Rooney , of Saxilby – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, Fraud by abuse of position, Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Theft (two counts). Bridget Rooney , of Saxilby – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour Martin Rooney , of Beaconsfield – Conspiracy to defraud, Converting criminal property (two counts) Martin Rooney , of Saxilby – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, Unlawful wounding Martin Rooney, of Saxilby – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, Assault occasioning actual bodily harm Patrick Rooney , of Beaconsfield – Converting criminal property John Rooney , of Pontefract – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour (two counts) Peter Doran , of Lincoln – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour Gerard Rooney , of Lincoln – Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour Lawrence Rooney - Conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour Share or comment on this article: Call this justice? Family of millionaire travellers who kept homeless men as slaves in filthy caravans are ALL out of jail and back at work - while 15 of their victims have died without ever getting compensation e-mail Add comment.
