Family imprisoned for “slave” beatings.

Three members of a family have been jailed for keeping a vulnerable man as a ‘slave’ and subjecting him to daily beatings.

Ice cream man David Rooke, 44, was jailed for six-and-a-half years after admitting falsely imprisoning and assaulting Craig Kinsella, 34.

The family had used him as a “punching bag”, the judge at Sheffield Crown Court said.

Disturbing CCTV of the family beating Mr Kinsella was shown in court.

The abuse took place over a six-week period between May and July 2013 and the court heard how Mr Kinsella was kept in “grotesque” conditions in a garage, had to use a bucket for the toilet and was taken out to food waste in bins.

Rooke’s wife Donna, 40, was jailed for four months for assault, while their son Jamie, 19, received four-and-a-half years for five counts of actual bodily harm and quarrel.

“He was just your punching bag, all three of you. If you were in a bad mood you would just go and kick and punch Craig Kinsella,” Judge Kelson said.

“It’s amazing that this is happening in our society, absolutely amazing. It’s almost unbelievable.”

Police found Mr Kinsella in a shocking physical state after responding to reports of a man being abused outside Rooke House on July 6 last year.

He had a broken right arm, a fractured rib, extreme bruising to his back and around his kidney, a fractured chin and cuts, as well as swelling and bruising to his head and legs.

Prosecutors said Mr Kinsella was beaten with weapons including a pickaxe handle and a crowbar.

They said he was so frightened by the beatings that he would work from 7.30am until midnight for no money, cleaning the family’s garden and vans.

Mr Kinsella had learning difficulties and first worked for the family a few years ago, receiving £40 a week so he could continue to claim benefits.

David Rooke was also ordered to pay Mr Kinsella £15,000 which police found in his home.

Detective Inspector Vicky Short, who led the investigation, said: “It is hard to understand how any human being could treat an individual in such a grotesque, callous and inhumane manner.

“I’m confident that if we hadn’t gotten that phone call that day in July, we would have been investigating a murder.”

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