Sarah Somerset-How and George Webb, who were having an affair, kept Tom Somerset-How in dirty conditions and treated him "like a piece of property".
The pair were charged under modern slavery legislation, typically used when the victim is trafficked or forced to work for no pay.
Sarah Somerset-How, 49, and Webb, 50, were found guilty of holding a person in slavery or servitude.
During legal argument that can only be reported now, the prosecution argued that by being held as "a prisoner in his own home", cut off from family and friends, Tom Somerset-How was in effect being treated as a slave.
Judge Ashworth said there was ample evidence that Sarah SomersetHow and Webb had held him "as if he was a cattle or animal".
The pair left Tom Somerset-How - who has cerebral palsy, is almost blind, uses a wheelchair and needs 24-hour care - in bed for 90% of the time and allowed him a shower once a week. He went for a year without brushing his teeth.
This story is from the May 13, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 13, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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