An Edgware woman who was one of three people found guilty of physically abusing, raping and threatening to kill a woman they made work as a slave for them has been sentenced.

Secretary Shamina Yousuf of North Road in Edgware was sentenced to 40 hours community service for committing actual bodily harm at Croydon Crown Court yesterday.

The victim, who spoke no English and was completely at the mercy of her employers, came from Hyderabad in India to work as a nanny for Yousuf in 2005 at her family home in Pavillion Way.

Yousuf, 33, imprisoned the victim, believed to be 40 years old, in the house and made her work as a virtual slave for nearly three years.

In 2006, the victim was taken to hospital with a two-inch gash on her foot after Yousuf took out her anger over her marital problems on the victim by throwing a mug at her.

However, no action was taken after the victim was bullied into not pursuing matters.

Yousuf, who had confiscated the victim's passport to ensure she could not leave her employment, then passed her onto Enkarta Balapovi, 54, of St John’s Wood, who raped her repeatedly and Shashi Kala Obhrai, 54, of Moor Park in Middlesex, who abused and threatened to kill her.

The victim told the court she was still deeply traumatised by her abusers and lived in fear of them.

She said: "I have had a really bad experience with these people. They have made my life hell.

"I have suffered with depression and sleepless nights for a very long time. I have to take medication so that I can get some sleep. They have treated me so badly that I worry at night that they will come for me."

Eventually, the victim escaped and her case was referred to the Metropolitan Police's Trafficking and Prostitution Unit (TPU).

Officers later arrested Yousuf, Obhrai and Balapovi. Balapovi was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for five counts of rape and Obhrai received a suspended sentence of three years and two months for ABH and making a threats to kill.

Det Chief Insp Nick Sumner of the TPU, said: "The victim is deeply traumatised yet found the courage to seek help and face her abusers in court because she does not want these people to hurt anyone else.

“I hope that the conviction and the sentences they eventually receive will help the victim start to rebuild her life, although she will probably wake up every morning for the rest of her life reliving the horrendous abuse she suffered at their hands."