The Attorney General has responded to a decision by the Court of Appeal not to increase the sentence of a man who exploited a worker who was kept as a slave for 40 years.
The Court of Appeal has today ruled that it will not increase the sentence of Peter Swailes, who was given a nine-month prison sentence in February, suspended for 18 months.
The 56-year-old Peter Swailes had admitted conspiring with others, including his late father, to arrange or facilitate the man’s travel with a view to exploitation.
The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP said: “There are no guarantees that any sentence we refer to the Court of Appeal will be increased. Peter Swailes’ sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal because it was considered to be too low and not reflective of the seriousness of his offending: he engaged in conspiracy to exploit an extremely vulnerable man. It was right to test the sentence, but I respect the court’s judgment.”
