A COUPLE who claimed a father-of-six forced them to work for £4 per day were “too drunk to stand up straight”, a jury has been told.

Giving evidence for the first time defendant Mohammed Riaz, 63, said he had never ordered his accusers Michal Czerniazwski and partner Malgorzata Bieniek to do any work and gave them £1 or £2 on the odd occasion when asked ‘as an act of charity’.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The trial at Burnley Crown Court of Riaz continues but Judge Beverley Lunt told the jury to find his son Khuram Riaz, 27, not guilty on two counts of forced or compulsory labour, after ruling he had no case to answer.

A jury had previously heard Mr Czerniazwski and Ms Bieniek had lived in a shack at the rear of Riaz’s home in Manchester Road, Nelson.

The court was also told by the prosecution Riaz had assaulted both complainants, given them a limited supply of food and forced them to work long hours.

When asked by defence barrister Stuart Neale if he had ever required the couple to work, Riaz, said: “Whenever I saw them they were not in a condition to work. There was no way they could have done anything anyway. They used to drink cider like it was water. They used to take other drugs as well.”

Riaz denied having a grocers shop or a garage in Nelson and also denied taking the couple out late at night to search through skips for materials.

Riaz told the court that he had not given permission for Mr Czerniazwski or Ms Bieniek to move onto his land initially and said they built the shack at the rear of his house when he was in Bradford visiting his dying brother.

He also denied buying them alcohol from Asda or drinking with them late at night in the shack.

When asked if he had ever given the couple money, Riaz, said: “As far as I remember I gave them money once or twice. Just like you would give money to anybody who was begging.”

Riaz denies two counts of forced or compulsory labour.

(Proceeding)