Tuesday 27 September 2022 08:41 PM Mother of four 'kept as 'slave' by wealthy family' tells court she came close ... trends now
A vulnerable mother-of-four came close to killing herself after she was forced to work a 14-hour day as an 'unpaid slave' to a wealthy family, a court heard.
Jacqueline Whittington, 60, broke down in tears as she told how she was subjected to up to years of violence, bullying and mental cruelty.
Employed as a domestic servant by wealthy landlady, Farzana Kausar, 58, she said she was forced to cook, clean and care for her three children in East Sussex without ever receiving a wage.
Kausar allegedly took Mrs Whittington's benefits from her, confiscated her mobile phone, forbade her from going out and denied her access to her family.
The mother-of-four, who lived with the family, said she was forced to sleep in the same room as the children and carry out all the household chores.
Mrs Whittington wept as she described how she was held as a virtual 'slave' to the family for 16 years.
Farzana Kausar, 58, pictured outside Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, is accused of keeping Jacqueline Whittington, 60, as a slave and violently abusing her. She denies the charges
The court heard Ms Kausar repeatedly assaulted Ms Whittington, including fracturing her foot in a car door
In a video interview played to the court she said: 'She is a violent person. The amount of time I have been pinched, poked, prodded and kicked. I can't remember anymore because it's been going on so long.
'She went for me all the time. She went for me in the car, slammed the door on my foot and fractured my ankle. She hid hospital letters of mine so I wouldn't go to hospital appointments.
'She ripped off a necklace her mum had given me for Christmas, smashed my glasses, scratched the side of my face. She literally had me pinned in the corner. Once she pulled me over the table by my hair.'
She said she was a 'dogs body' and her working day began at 8am and didn't end until 10pm when she had tidied up.
She said: 'I would cook, clean, wash, iron, cook dinner, do the washing up. I wouldn't be able to sit down until 10pm.
'In 16 years she has never given me a penny. It was all verbal. She said she would pay me a certain amount each week.
'At the end of the week I would ask her if she had my money and she said she had put it in the bank.'
'I've become an ill nervous wreck. If it wasn't for those beautiful children I would be dead by now. I've that close to killing myself because I can't take anymore but won't due to those kids.'
Lewes Crown Court (pictured), in East Sussex, heard that Kausar had even kept 'vulnerable' Mrs Whittington's benefits money
She said she wanted to
