A cruel father-in-law who kept his son’s Pakistani bride prisoner in his Bradford home and used her as his sex slave has been jailed for seven years.

The 56-year-old man took away the 22-year-old woman’s jewellery and passport and threatened to bring shame on her by forcing her to divorce if she refused to comply with his demands.

Her life was such unbearable misery that she thought about killing herself, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

The man made the vulnerable woman do the housework, care for his grandchildren and bring him breakfast in bed.

Prosecutor Richard Clews said she spoke no English when she came to the UK in 2008 following an arranged marriage.

Her husband stayed out late and then stopped coming back to his parents’ home at all, leaving his bride under the power and control of her father-in-law.

He subjected her to “repeated and sustained” sexual abuse and scratched her arm with a screwdriver and burned her with an iron to reinforce his authority over her.

Mr Clews said he told her not to wear underwear to make the abuse easier. He molested her when his wife was out, after locking the house doors.

He even made her swear on the Koran not to tell anyone.

After more than three months of abuse, she learned enough English to call 999 at dead of night and plead with the police for help.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told the man, who cannot be named to protect the woman’s identity: “She was your prisoner and slave in your home.”

He added: “The slavery turned into repeated, sustained sexual abuse and degradation.”

The man forced her to watch pornography and physically hurt her with his “unfaithful and disgusting activity”.

The judge praised the woman’s bravery and commended Detective Constable Sharon Larkin, of West Yorkshire Police, for her work on the case.

The man pleaded guilty to sexual assault, between May 1 and August 12, 2010, causing his victim to engage in sexual activity against her will causing her actual bodily harm.

After the case, DC Larkin said: “West Yorkshire Police treat all sexual offences extremely seriously and with the utmost integrity.

“This was a particularly sensitive case in which the victim was subject to sexual, physical and mental abuse over a sustained period.

“This man abused his position of trust to inflict horrendous acts upon her and I would applaud this woman for having the courage to come forward.

“I would urge other victims in similar situations to find the strength to report such incidents and have confidence in the police to achieve the justice they deserve.

“You can contact us anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or on the non-emergency number 101 and we will be able to help.”