Vanessa Marshall QC and James Macdonald have successfully prosecuted two men for modern slavery offences. Both men were jailed for crimes which included conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another with a view to exploitation, conspiracy to control prostitution for gain and removing criminal property from England and Wales.
Mo Quan Zhou, 45 and Meyrick Bramhill-Purchase, 64 have been sentenced to five and half years and four and half years respectively.
Suspicions were raised in May 2015 after a letting agent reported that a property in Lincoln was being used as a brothel. The police investigated and between May 2015 and May 2017 the pair were found to be operating brothels in Chesterfield, Derby and Lincoln. Vulnerable Chinese and Malaysian women who had been trafficked into the UK were found at the brothels by police.
After the trial, Inspector Harry Rai said the men were “controlling” women and the brothels were “bringing misery” to communities.
He added: “These women were very vulnerable. Many of them had overstayed their visas and were desperate to remain in the UK in order to avoid an even worse existence in their home countries.”
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