An alleged brothel madam who denies forcing women trafficked from Thailand into prostitution in Dundee was in the UK illegally to provide massages with “happy endings”, she told her trial.
Mananchaya Wanitthanawet, 40, denies controlling two women and arranging for them to have sex with men at flats in Dundee and other Scottish cities.
Jurors at the High Court in Dundee previously heard claims the women – who spoke no English – were lured to the UK on the promise of lucrative massage work, before having their passports and documents removed from them.
They were allegedly told they owed a combined £90,000 debt and had to work as prostitutes if they wanted to return to Thailand.
Wanitthanawet, who came to the UK to perform sexual massage services in 2019, is on trial alongside her partner and former customer, Cameron Wilson.
‘Nuht’ planned ‘happy endings’
Giving evidence in her own defence, Wanitthanawet – known as ‘Nuht’ – said both women had contacted her through a Facebook group for Thai nationals looking for work across the world.
Wanitthanawet, who gave her evidence in English, told the court she had obtained a visa to work in the UK through an agency but was living here illegally.
She said she planned to work as a masseuse providing “happy endings” – masturbating clients.
Wanitthanawet claimed she came to the UK to pay off her own debts totalling 300,000 Thai Baht (around £6,700).
“I told her (the first woman) I do massage work with some extra,” Wanitthanawet said.
“I couldn’t offer anything (employment) to her.
“We talked on Facebook Messenger and she told me she already had a visa.
“I never took her passport.”
Questions on money transfers
Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin asked Wanitthanawet: “When you met (the first woman) at Newcastle Airport, did you tell her she owed you £70,000?
“That day, did you tell her she had to get involved in sexual favours and have sex with men?”
Wanitthanawet replied: “No. She did not need to pay me anything because I am not involved with anything.
“Before she came, I told her what I did. She said she would come to do a massage.
“I said ‘are you sure?’ and she said she had friends in the UK.”
Wanitthanawet denied all allegations of forcing the women into sexual services, arranging their accommodation and travel and advertising them online.
The first woman alleged Wanitthanawet assembled a “team” to arrange for a visa and flights to Newcastle, where Wanitthanawet had been working.
The court heard Wanitthanawet claimed she was sent around £11,000 and £5,000 by the women via Royal Mail to send to family in Thailand.
She denied this was collected from the earnings of prostitution.
Advocate depute Adrian Stalker questioned Wanitthanawet on why more than £136,000 was transferred between bank accounts in Wilson’s name.
Wanitthanawet claimed £117,000 of this was her own money obtained via massage work, the rest from the women and Wilson’s casino wins.
Messages found on phone
The court was told how former delivery driver Wilson was claiming Universal Credit at the time of the allegations.
A police raid on the couple’s flat on Gardener Street in December 2020 uncovered several mobile phones, notebooks in Thai featuring the women’s details, a Paysafe card belonging to the first woman and a copy of the same woman’s passport.
A red Samsung phone was found under a pillow, which contained messages discussing an arrangement for sexual massage services with a client.
These were exchanged half-an-hour before the police search.
Wanitthanawet said she had no idea the phone was there and did not send any of the messages.
In earlier evidence, the first woman said she felt like her “hands were tied” after alleging ‘Nuht’ told her shortly after arriving in the UK she would be working as a prostitute.
The second alleged victim said she managed to escape to Aberdeen from Dundee after establishing trust with a customer.
Some charges dropped
Wanitthanawet is on trial accused of recruiting, transporting and harbouring the women, featuring them in adverts for sexual services and forcing them into prostitution across Scotland between July 1 2019 and July 4 2022 at addresses in Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh, Newcastle and elsewhere.
She allegedly provided women with clothing, outfits, condoms and birth control medication.
Wilson, 30, was originally tried over human trafficking but the allegations were withdrawn by prosecutors after the conclusion of the Crown case.
Both Wilson and Wanitthanawet, of Yeovil, Somerset, were also cleared of two separate charges relating to prostitution and brothels.
Wilson still faces allegations living on the earnings of prostitution at his former home on Gardener Street on December 2 2020 as well as “transferring, concealing and converting” more than £136,000 of criminal cash into bank accounts.
They both deny a final charge of acquiring and possessing £3,815 of illegal money.
The trial before Lord Scott continues.
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