TWO brothers enslaved their mother and sister in their home for nearly 18 months before subjecting the younger woman to a vicious assault lasting an hour, a court heard.

Bradford Crown Court heard the women were prohibited from turning on taps, allowed only a bucket of water to wash in and were given just £1 a month to spend on essential sanitary products.

And the brothers used a belt buckle, a wooden spoon and a shoe during a sustained and repeated assault on their sister.

Locking up Faisal Hussein, 25, and 19-year-old Arbaaz Ahmed for 32 months, Judge Jonathan Rose said their behaviour had been "appalling and disgraceful."

He added: "It culminated in a violent assault upon your own sister which is almost unimaginable to any decent human being."

Judge Rose said to treat another human in that way was unforgiveable, more so because it was their sister and mother.

He said the mother who had given them life and the sister who was of their blood "were essentially your slaves."

He said the assault on their sister, Ruhee, involved "absolutely appalling violence."

Judge Rose said the offence was "so appalling in all its viciousness and all its cruelty" that the court was justified in raising it to the highest category.

Hussein and Ahmed, both of Gladstone Street, Bradford Moor, Bradford, had pleaded guilty to assaulting 30-year-old Ruhee Hussein on May 16 this year, and of using controlling and coercing behaviour on her and their mother, Nasara Hussein, 53, between January 1, 2016 and May 16 this year.

Prosecutor Abdul Shakoor said the family moved from Tanzania in 2015 but their father remained there because he was unable to obtain a visa. The controlling and coercing behaviour started after two months and involved every aspect of the complainants' lives and included emotional abuse.

Mr Shakoor said Ruhee described being treated like a slave - being forced to cook and clean, not being allowed out of the house, or to watch TV. When the defendants became angry they would throw the women out and leave them standing outside the house until they were permitted to go back in. Ruhee had her mobile phone taken from her and the defendants took their bank cards and spent their benefit money. The women were also threatened with violence and lived in fear of being assaulted.

On the day of the assault, Ruhee felt unwell but was made to clean the bathroom and was not allowed any breakfast. She was then ordered into the living room, where both brothers slapped her hard to the head, face and ear.

Ahmed armed himself with a metal-buckled belt, wrapped it round his hand and struck his sister with the buckle. He also hit her so hard with a wooden spoon that it broke. Hussein struck her with her own shoe.

Ahmed kicked his sister to the floor, where they continued to punch and slap her. She suffered excruciating pain and felt as if she was going to die.

She was thrown out of the house and was seen in a distressed state by a member of the public who contacted police.

Ahmed's barrister, Nick Worsley, said the teenager had witnessed similar contact between his father and female members of the family, which may have made it appear acceptable to behave in such a way. He would do anything to make up for his mistakes and promised to do nothing like it again.

Andrea Parnham, representing Hussein, said he was utterly ashamed and sorry for what he had done.

Hussein was jailed for 32 months and Ahmed was sentenced to the same time in youth custody.

Both were made subject of a five-year restraining order prohibiting them from contacting the complainants.