Owner of Harrogate Hand Carwash jailed for modern slavery offences

The owner of a Harrogate car wash has been jailed for the mistreatment and exploitation of workers who travelled to the UK from their native Romania in search of better lives.

Defrim Paci is sole director of Harrogate Hand Carwash on Sykes Grove, but his crimes were committed against workers at a Carlisle car wash.

Paci and Sitar Ali were jailed for modern slavery crimes by a judge who heard of the harrowing impact their offending had on four men who helped bring the pair to justice after a painstaking multi-agency investigation.

Paci the ringleader

Carlisle Crown Court was told Paci, who has four children, led a criminal plot to exploit employees who were left exhausted having been forced to work long hours in poor conditions for less than the minimum wage at Shiny on Warwick Road in Carlisle. They were also housed in filthy city accommodation.

Some victims were left with only £20 left in weekly pay packet despite working 11 hours a day, six days a week as their freedom, according to the prosecution, was “effectively over-ridden”. Wage slips overstated pay and understated the working hours of workers left with sore feet, cracked hands and exhausted.

Documents found in Paci’s possession and phone evidence revealed Paci’s ongoing interest in the car wash despite his denials.

Meanwhile Ali ‪managed the Shiny site, denying the men proper breaks and days off. Some spoke of the skin on their being “burned” by “toxic” cleaning chemicals, and of receiving no protective clothing. One worker recalled buying cheap gloves from Tesco to protect his hands.

Despite their firm denials, Paci, of Windmill Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and Ali, of Adelaide Street, Carlisle, were each convicted of two modern slavery crimes committed over a 15-month period during 2016 and 2017. Ali was also found guilty of possessing criminal property after £16,000 was found in his car after police began making arrests during their criminal investigation.

The four Romanian victims, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, were aged 49, 34, 32 and 21. 

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Victims humiliated and exploited

One victim said in an impact statement as he described being “humiliated”:

“The experience I went through while working at the car wash in Carlisle caused me to lose all trust in humans.

“I was treated like a piece of garbage by those running the place and this caused me extreme stress there and long-term anxiety afterwards.”

Another said the ordeal was “the most horrible experience I have been through in my entire life”.

He said:

“It is a terrible injustice for a human being to take advantage of another human by exploiting them.

“It fills me with anger when I think back to what I went through.”

A third added:

“The inhumane manner in which Sitar and Defrim treated those that worked for them will forever stay with me and has caused me to lose trust in people.”

The court heard Paci was a committed family man but Judge Nicholas Barker told him of the crimes: “I am satisfied you did benefit significantly from this operation.”

Paci was jailed for 45 months and Ali for 39 months by Judge Barker, who stressed it was necessary for “deterrent ambits” within the sentence to show such offending “will not be tolerated by the courts”.

Judge Barker told Ali:

“I am satisfied upon the evidence you worked in partnership with Defrim Paci. Although you each performed different roles, you did so at equal levels within her organisation.

“You realised that by reducing the cost of labour it would significantly increase your profits.”

He told both men:

“It was the circumstances in which workers found themselves, designed by you, which rendered them vulnerable and helpless.”

Call for modern slavery investigation into Harrogate car wash

A local resident has called for an investigation into a Harrogate car wash after a court found the owner guilty of modern slavery offences.

Harrogate Hand Carwash and Valeting’s sole director is Defrim Paci, who was found guilty this week of committing modern slavery crimes against workers at a car wash in Carlisle.

The court heard how several staff worked long hours for little pay and were denied breaks when it was busy.

Workers also reported rat and insect infestation sightings in their “very dirty” multi-occupancy accommodation after paying for transport from their native Romania.

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The Harrogate car wash on Sykes Grove was not implicated in the hearing but a resident who lives near it, and requested anonymity, called for an investigation in light of the court verdict. They said:

“I really never suspected anything like this.

“They really have to do some sort of investigation now. If Paci has done this at one of his businesses then they all need to be looked into.”

We passed on the resident’s concerns to North Yorkshire Police and asked if officers would carry out an investigation. The force did not reply.

The Stray Ferret also spoke to one of the workers at Harrogate Hand Carwash & Valeting, who wanted to remain anonymous. They said:

“I have not been working here long but I think all the workers here are fine and have no complaints.

“Friends of mine brought me here. I have not heard anything about that court case.

“I think it is a good place to work, it pays well. Paci is here sometimes and gives us food and drink.”

Trial starts of Harrogate car wash owner accused of modern slavery

Defrim Paci, 42, his brother Jetmir Paci, 37 and Sitar Ali, 33, all stand accused of modern slavery crimes committed against Romanian nationals at the car wash Shiny, on Warwick Road in Carlisle during 2016 and 2017.

Carlisle Crown Court heard today how car wash employees were “burned” by chemicals and “compelled to work long hours in bad conditions for little pay” during alleged exploitation after being transported from abroad.

Mr Paci is the sole director of the Harrogate Hand Carwash on Sykes Grove. The charges do not relate to this business.

‪Prosecutor Martin Reid told the jury:

“This case is all about forced labour and arranging for people to come to the UK with a view to their being exploited.”

‪Defrim Paci, of Windmill Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, “operated at the top of the conspiracy” which centred on the Carlisle car wash, alleged Mr Reid.

Defrim’s brother, Jetmir, is said to have been involved in building work at the site, along with the transportation of staff.

The city business was managed by Ali, whose responsibilities included daily treatment of staff, their wages and payment for their transport to this country, plus their accommodation and rent collection.

Mr Reid alleged:

‪“It is the prosecution case that the circumstances created by the defendants led to the freedom of these workers effectively being over-ridden, and that they were compelled to work long hours in bad conditions for little pay, their labour being exploited for the benefit of the defendants.”

‪Several workers, said the prosecutor, had identity cards taken away until travel cost debt was repaid; were required to live in “very dirty” rat and insect-infested multi-occupancy accommodation in Carlisle; and were “faced with having only £20 in their pockets from a week’s work of 11 hours a day, six days a week”.

‪Some described having no breaks, of having skin on their face and body “burned” by cleaning chemicals, and of receiving no protective clothing. One recalled buying some gloves for £2 from Tesco. Another said:

“They treated me the same like they would do with a slave.”

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‪The Paci brothers and Ali each deny two charges. One alleges conspiracy to require others to perform forced or compulsory labour at Shiny in Carlisle; the other alleges conspiracy to facilitate travel with a view to exploitation. Ali further denies possessing criminal cash.

‪Jurors were told, in addition to witness testimony, they would consider a wealth of documentary evidence. This includes mobile phone data collected during the police investigation, details of two immigration visits to the car wash and searches of all the defendants’ homes.

Defrim Paci and Jetmir Paci, of Minimum Terrace, Chesterfield, both told police when interviewed they had no roles in the operation of Shiny Carlisle.

Of Defrim Paci, Mr Reid said:

“The Crown understands his case to be that he was not in charge of the business, nor was he involved in the management or day to day running of the business.”

Ali, of Adelaide Street, Carlisle, also denies any wrongdoing.

‪The trial, which is expected to last around six weeks, continues.