Thank you to all who commented. The general advice of get a lawyer is absolutely correct, I had not considered the potential backlash this could have on me if my name is associated with their illegal practices.
Calls to 'name and shame, while cathartic, probably aren't going to be very useful. There isn't a database of bad actors that has any reputability, and the legal consequences may be dire.
I'm just about scraping by without wages, so the ideal course of action seems to be to try and get a cheap/free initial consultation from an appropriate lawyer before deciding on what to say to the unemployment services. I think, however, getting a new job pronto would be a better use of my time, though both may be possible. Luckily, I have no dependants so the mistake is mine.
I don't expect to see any wages from this company, the CEO appears to be living in another world to the point of giving me more work to do after bluntly being told I couldn't make rent this month, and I'd borrowed to make last month's. As many have said, never work for free, never work without a contract in place (or cash in your hand). Why assume other people's risks when there's information asymmetry?
With respect to the code, IP suits are probably the most painful type of suit, so I'll hold off on pursuing them unless they happen to hit it big. And if they don't, there's nothing to claim for anyway.
I'm not happy about the prospect of ruining the equity of my co-workers, worthless as it may be, so unless I'm really having a hard time getting another job, I won't apply for unemployment benefit. Painful as it is to continue to suffer a loss for this, I think the relatively small amount might be worth avoiding the fallout.
For those requesting the country, as this has quietened down a little I can tell you it's Ireland. The laws on employee/contractor and IP assignment are relatively clear here, but, obviously, a lawyer is required.
I have been taken for a fool, please learn from my mistakes.