...By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
Disabled Man Allegedly Enslaved by Wife and Carer in Secret Love Affair
A disabled man’s wife and carer are on trial accused of holding him in slavery, fraud, theft, and ill-treatment.
Over a ten-year period, Sarah Somerset-How and her lover George Webb allegedly “enslaved” her husband Tom, whom they barely kept alive as they spent his money on luxury items, ostracizing him from his family.
The court heard that they had used him as a “cash cow” and neglected him, leaving him in bed for up to 90% of the time, barely feeding him and allowing him to shower only once a week.
The Allegations
Sarah Somerset-How and her lover George Webb allegedly enslaved her husband Tom, whom they used as a “cash cow” and barely kept alive as they spent his money.
They are now on trial charged with holding a person in slavery, fraud, theft, and ill-treatment.
The Alleged Abuse
The couple’s neglect of Mr Somerset-How was deliberate. They isolated him from friends and family, and he was not allowed to call people without one of them being present.
They “plundered his finances, spending £12,000 of his inheritance.”
The pair left Mr Somerset-How in bed for up to 90% of the time, barely feeding him, and allowing him to shower only once a week.
The Rescue
Eventually, Mr Somerset-How managed to raise the alarm about how he was being treated with a friend who alerted his parents.
They then staged a rescue with police and social services, which the court heard had “the marks of extracting someone as a hostage.”
Commentary
The case of Sarah Somerset-How and George Webb’s alleged enslavement of Mr. Somerset-How is a horrific example of abuse of a vulnerable person.
The court heard how they had isolated him from his family, controlled every aspect of his life, and used him as a “cash cow” for their own benefit.
They left him barely alive, denying him basic care such as food and hygiene.
It is difficult to fathom how someone can treat another human being this way, particularly someone who is disabled and entirely dependent on their care.
The alleged abuse is shocking, and the trial is a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable people from abuse and exploitation.
It is heartening to know that Mr. Somerset-How was eventually rescued, but it is tragic that he had to endure such abuse for so long.
