LONDON, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Nine members of a family who kept workers in squalid conditions in caravans in Eastern England were convicted Tuesday of modern-day slavery offences and jailed for a total of 79 years.
Two other members received suspended sentences after most of family members were found guilty for running a modern-day slavery ring in Lincolnshire, East England.
The victims were beaten and left without running water or toilet facilities.
They were all described as vulnerable adults, aged between 18 and 63, who were often homeless and had been picked up by the defendants from across Britain, according to the reports.
The family was described as "chilling in their mercilessness."
The head of the family, Martin Rooney Senior, was jailed for 10 years, while two of his sons were each jailed for more than 15 years.
The case at Nottingham Crown Court was one of the largest investigations of its kind.
