An Australian man was held captive for six months, forced to work as a slave and repeatedly bashed at the hands of the couple he lodged with, a court heard yesterday.
The 26-year-old, who was in a serious condition in Sydney's Westmead Hospital last night, is dehydrated and emaciated, suffering spinal fractures, a punctured lung, several broken ribs and a fractured jaw.
His weight was just 88 pounds, according to police.
Police yesterday charged Mervyn John Ferry, 41, and Paula Diane Morrison, 46, with a total of 27 offences, alleging the pair not only repeatedly assaulted their young boarder but also denied him medical treatment after bashing him with a baseball bat on Monday, August 9.
Police claimed that, instead of allowing him to see a doctor, Ferry and Morrison locked the man in a children's cubby house in the loungeroom of the home until the next day.
The young lodger reportedly moved in with the couple in February this year in a suburban Housing NSW home on the outskirts of Bathurst, NSW.
Police allege that his mobile phone was confiscated, he was detained against his will and was repeatedly assaulted.
He was also allegedly forced to perform all the cleaning duties, while being starved.
Police said the man had lost almost half his body weight in the six months he was detained at the house.
The young man was taken to Bathurst Police Station on August 10 suffering black eyes, a split lip and severe bruising.
He was then rushed to Bathurst Base Hospital, from where he was taken by helicopter to Westmead Hospital.
It was there an extensive number of new and old serious injuries and fractures that had been inflicted over a long period of time, in one case with an iron bar, were identified.
Neighbours were last night in shock, saying Ferry and Morrison had lived in the property for several years.
"It's very, very sad to see things like that happen here," one neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said.
Ferry and Morrison faced Bathurst Local Court yesterday afternoon in a 1 1/2 hour session during which they applied for bail.
That application was denied. No pleas were entered and they were remanded in custody to reappear on October 11.
Detectives attached to Strike Force Bukari arrested them about 9.15am yesterday.
Ferry was charged with 14 offences including five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of detain in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm and four counts of common assault.
Morrison was charged with 13 offences including four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of detaining in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm as well as six counts of common assault.
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