A Nottingham landlord built a fleet of cars and a collection of houses while taking wages from two men – one of which he ran as a modern slave.
Sajmon Brzezinski trafficked one vulnerable man to the city and forced him to work to fund his lavish lifestyle. He tricked another into handing over most of the money he earned.
Both of the men worked full-time but were given ‘allowances’ of just £20-£30 a week by Brzezinski.
Nottingham Crown Court was told Brzezinski’s home in Poland was a “palace” at the time – with 50 windows – and he owned more than five cars and four properties in Nottingham, despite not having worked for the last five years.
Brzezinski admitted human trafficking and two counts of forced labour under modern slavery laws in relation to the first man and fraud in relation to the other when he appeared at court today (Monday, June 5). He will be sentenced on June 15.
He was finally caught when one of the victims confided in a colleague at a Christmas party.
The court was told the first man, who met Brzezinski at a building site in Poland, had been offered travel to the UK for £60 so he could find work in 2011 or 2012 – but when he arrived he was told he owed £2,000 and had to work to pay it off.
Brzezinski, 43, set up bank accounts for the 38-year-old, which his wages were paid into, but he kept his bank card so he couldn’t access the money.
Despite working for up to 60 hours a week for wages up to £480, Brzezinski only gave him £20-£30 to live on, and pocketed the rest. He told him this was because he owed him for accommodation at his home in Overdale Road, Old Basford, and utility bills. He also had to pay for his own food and could only buy his clothes and furniture from him from those “wages”.
The victim said he was scared of Brzezinski, telling police he was “dangerous” and had “hurt lots of people” because of money.
The court was told the other victim travelled to the UK with Brzezinski’s family in 2006 and had handed over responsibility for his finances to him.
However, the 44-year-old didn’t understand why he worked so hard and had so little money to live on. He too was only given about £20 a week to live on, while Brzezinski took £106,000 from him over six years.
Both of the men had worked at Sports Direct, Shirebrook, before working at Hammond Produce, a farm in Redhill.
Police came to light when the trafficking victim opened up to a colleague at the Hammond Produce staff Christmas party – one of the few times he had been allowed out by Brzezinski.
A supervisor at the company reported the story and an investigation was launched by Nottinghamshire Police and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.
Detective Constable Claire Reilly, of Notts Police, said: “This investigation began after a concerned co-worker raised the alarm about the well-being of one of the victims. It quickly became apparent that both men had suffered terribly at the hands of Sajmon Brzezinski.
“Due to their backgrounds both men were very vulnerable to exploitation and one in particular had been discovered in an orphanage in Poland by Brzezinski and his associates as a child. Once in the United Kingdom, Brzezinski was able to live a very comfortable life without having to work, as he controlled the wages of the men.
“This type of crime is one of the worst that exists in modern society and what is often most shocking is that it is happening in the midst of our towns and cities and is hidden in plain sight. I would ask that anybody who has any concerns that a person may be being exploited in this way contact the police.”
Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “We must make sure that people are aware of the signs, encourage them to report their suspicions and respond appropriately. That sends the strongest message that exploitation will not be tolerated.”
