Rich UK couple guilty of imprisoning Filipina domestic worker
SAN FRANCISCO — A wealthy couple in Somerset, UK, imprisoned and tied up their Filipino domestic helper after the wife failed to convince her to sleep with her husband for money, so she could divorce him for infidelity.
Zekri Gris, 56, a businessman, hired the Filipina identified only as “Narissa” as a cleaner and caretaker for his four children. The 36-year-old Narissa started working for the Grises when her student visa expired. The Grises are Egyptian nationals.
Zekri Gris’s wife Dina, 35, offered Narissa £200 to have sex with her husband and record it so she could have evidence of infidelity to use against him in a divorce, according to the UK’s Telegraph.
Her plot failed.
Meanwhile, Zekri Gris, who owns shops, accused the helper of stealing £12,000 from him. At the time, he was unaware of his wife’s “sextortion” plot.
The couple tied her up with a rope and handcuffs in their £650,000 home, threatening her with a knife to make her “confess” to stealing the money. The even filmed her 36-hour ordeal. After three days Narissa was able to wriggle free and used the rope to climb out of a window.
Video footage taken by Dina Gris shows a weeping Narissa tied to a chair while Zekri Gris shouts at her, accusing her of stealing money.
Zekri Gris pleaded guilty to one count of false imprisonment and was sentenced to three years on Tuesday, May 29. His wife also pleaded guilty to same charge and will be sentenced at a later date.
The prosecutor told the Bristol crown court that without “Filipino carers” the care giving system would collapse, yet many undocumented immigrants like Narissa are vulnerable and exploited.
