Woman who ran profitable Warrington brothel spared jail

The sentencing hearing of Guoyan Ma had to be paused before the sentence was handed down after it was judged that she suffered a ‘panic attack’ in the dock.

The court heard how the 58-year-old mother provided an opportunity for women of Chinese origin to earn money to remain in the country illegally.

But because of her personal mitigation, which included health issues with her hearing and her difficulties with the English language, she was spared jail.

Ma appeared before Liverpool Crown Court, assisted by a mandarin interpreter, this morning, Monday, to be sentenced over five charges of controlling prostitution for gain relating to women aged between 35 and 49.

The naturalised British citizen was due to appear alongside co-defendant David Marsh, who was convicted of two counts of money laundering.

The 72-year-old was known as Ma’s ‘errand boy’ who collected the profits, however his sentencing hearing has been adjourned until next month due to health issues.

The court heard from prosecutor Simon Parry how brothel owner Ma, who sobbed in the dock through most of the hearing, was to be sentenced over controlling the prostitution of five women.

She used mobile phone messaging applications to recruit oriental women and then advertised their sexual services to men through flare messages written through the help of Google Translate.

Chat and message logs recovered by police were from July 2016 to October 2019, with Mr Parry stating that the five women referenced in the charges were ‘the tip of the iceberg’.

Of the five, four were here illegally through overstaying the length of their visa, while the fifth had entered the country illegally.

However, the court heard that there was no element of coercion, with no women being trafficked and forced to work against their will, nor was there any complaint about the conditions they were living in.

Ma would arrange for the women to travel to the property at Pyramid Court in the town centre, where men would frequent and pay the women to engage in sexual activity.

The money was given to Ma and collected by Marsh, of Springclough Avenue in Worsley, who transferred it into a bank account.

The regularity and volume of the business, which would see upwards of seven visits from men a day, was described as a ‘significant’ operation, with an expectation of ‘significant financial gain’.

Guoyan Ma leaving Liverpool Crown Court after being sentenced

The court heard that cameras inside the property had been placed in the hallway facing the front door as well as the kitchen for Ma to see who was coming in and out of the address.

There were also a variety of items found in the bedrooms that were associated with sexual paraphernalia.

A surveillance operation in August and September 2019 recorded women who had been employed by Ma attending and leaving the property.

Men, who visited as clients, were also seen coming and going including Marsh.

In October 2019, Ma was arrested at the brothel while attempting to access her mobile phones.

The phones were seized by police and uncovered messages dating back from 2014 to 2015.

On the phone were messages from Ma speaking to the women about weekly takings of between £2,705 and £3,135, however it is believed she would take most of the money.

In June 2020 Marsh was arrested and his home was searched, recovering two handwritten diaries from between September 2018 and November 2018 showing he was a client at the brothel and was known to be Ma’s ‘errand boy.’

He would regularly collect money from the property, and when interviewed by police he claimed he thought he was transferring it to Ma’s family in China.

Ma and Marsh were found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court on last month following an eight-day trial.

Anthony Barraclough, defending Ma, sought to persuade the court that a community penalty or suspended sentence order was appropriate rather than immediate imprisonment.

“Ms Ma is as stressed as anyone I have seen in this court building by her conviction. She is incredibly anxious, and when she heard the verdict she froze and was vomiting outside court,” he said.

“She almost had to be carried from the court building as she was in a state of shock, and she is incredibly fearful of the consequences of her conviction and of going to prison.”

The barrister suggested that his client, who has no previous convictions, did not know what she was doing was illegal until her arrest, but this was rejected by judge Neil Flewitt who said he did not believe that ‘for a minute’.

Guoyan Ma was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court

Before sentencing, he said: “The seriousness of your offending lies in the fact that by allowing these women to work from your premises and controlling their activities, you enabled them to work in this country to earn sufficient money to avoid the detection of authorities.

“It is important to report that there is no evidence at all that these women were coerced to work as prostitutes.”

Following a short break while the defendant suffered her ‘panic attack’, judge Flewitt added: “I have reached the conclusion that I can suspend the sentence, and I am not going to send you immediately to prison.”

This was due to her ‘strong personal mitigation’, namely being isolated in prison due to her English language difficulties, as well as her physical and mental health issues.

The judge also referenced her ‘reasonable prospect of rehabilitation’, demonstrated by staying out of trouble for three years since her arrest, and her ‘lack of risk’ to the public.

Ma, of Clarence Street in Padgate, was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years.

She must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and undertake 180 hours of unpaid work for the benefit of the community.

Ma will appear back before the court later this year for a Proceeds of Crime Act Hearing, to learn how much of her ill-gotten gains she will be ordered to pay back.

Following the sentencing, sergeant Darren Wright, of Warrington local policing unit, said: “Ma was the overall controller of the brothel and the profits she made from it.

“She claimed she worked on her own and ran a massage parlour, but we knew that was not the case.

“She used Marsh to move the money generated from the men who paid for sexual services so it would not put attention or suspicion on her.

“However, he was fully aware that Ma was running a brothel and used the women for his own sexual needs.

“In order to build a strong case against her and Marsh, and to further protect these women, we had to gather evidence that would strengthen the case.

“This can often take time, but it can ultimately lead to a positive outcome and justice being served for these women.”