A MUM-OF-TWO who ‘effectively trapped’ a £140-an-hour prostitute by refusing to return her passport until she paid a ‘debt’ has been jailed following a police probe into human trafficking.

Mihaela Constantina, 41, of Hardy Street, Orford, had admitted to controlling a prostitute for gain, while Augustin Marin, 47, of Cobden Street, Orford, had admitted to acting with intent to pervert the course of justice, before being sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court.

Ionut Constantina, 40, also of Hardy Street, was found not guilty after the prosecution offered no evidence.

They were arrested on June 6 when officers were deployed to Winwick Road at 10.30pm after receiving a call from a McDonald's employee, who was approached by a 19-year-old woman from Romania.

Last Thursday, the court heard she asked the employee to call the police and spoke in 'limited English' to say that 'there is a big problem'.

Prosecution barrister Neil Usher confirmed police found her in a 'distressed state' and were led to Mr Constantina's address, where dad-of-two Marin tried to get rid of evidence.

Mr Usher said: "It was a joint agreement that she would come here and work as a prostitute.

"She was content earnings would be split 50/50, she arrived in Warrington towards the end of April.

"As police arrived, Marin left to the rear of the address and disposed of two mobile phones and passport documents.

"The items were recovered. Examinations discovered hundreds of messages responding to adverts on a website."

The court heard it was the 19-year-old's 'understanding' that half of her earnings would be taken.

Mr Usher added: "But after her arrival the amount taken from her was gradually increased.

"She thought she earned on the order of £5,000. Charging £140 an hour, she calculated she kept around £600.

"She stated, after a couple of weeks, she wanted to go home but could not as her passport and ID documents were taken from her.

"She was told she could not go until she paid a debt.

"The trigger for her leaving and contacting the police is that she asked for her passport back and it was made clear she would not get it back until she paid another £500."

The 19-year-old victim 'did not wish to assist the authorities at all' after returning to Romania 'for reasons that are unclear', the court heard.

Police confirmed both defendants have no previous convictions in the UK or Romania.

Jeremy Rawson, defending Marin, who made a 'split-second decision' to try to hide the evidence 'on the request of Mrs Constantina', said his client 'has been working in the country and made his contribution'.

He added: "When the police arrived he panicked and, by impulse, took the passport and phones to the rear yard."

Simon Christie, defending Constantina, acknowledged 'there was a falling out over money and its division'.

He added: "Mrs Constantina came to this country in July 2015 with her husband.

"They have both worked throughout, they have two children.

"It is the children's welfare that is absolutely at the heart of Mrs Constantina's concerns."

Judge Brian Cummings QC told Constantina that the 19-year-old 'effectively fled in distress' on June 6.

He added: "The agreement was that that she would receive 50 per cent of her earnings, instead she received something like 12 per cent.

"In addition, from the outset, you took from her and kept custody of her passport and ID documents.

"She had very limited English and she was effectively trapped in the situation."

Constantina was sentenced to 15 months in prison but will be credited for the time already served in custody, which is just short of six months.

Marin was sentenced to 10 months in prison but due to the time already served in custody, as well as on qualifying curfew, he has been released.

DC David Schofield labelled the police investigation as 'complex and challenging'.

He said: "The immediate priority was to safeguard a vulnerable victim and then ensure a robust investigation was carried out, while dealing with a language barrier throughout.

"It was brave of the victim to seek help and we hope that these convictions will encourage any others, who find themselves in similar situations, to come forward and report this to the police.

"Cheshire Police and our partners, locally and nationally, will help those who have been held in servitude for the purpose of sexual exploitation and will strive to get justice for them."