Pensioner brothel visitor laundered money as ‘errand boy’

David Marsh was referred to as an ‘errand boy’ by Cheshire Police after officers raided the sex premises in the town centre.

The 72-year-old was found to have collected thousands of pounds in profits from the illegal enterprise and transferred them to China.

But a court spared him a spell in prison due to his age and deeming that he was ‘taken advantage of’.

Marsh was charged with two counts of money laundering, and he appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court this morning, Thursday.

Simon Parry, prosecuting, explained how the charges involved the transfer and possession of criminal property, namely cash gained from the prostitution business run by Guoyan Ma.

The 58-year-old mother was also allowed to walk free from court in July, despite being convicted of five charges of controlling prostitution for gain relating to women aged between 35 and 49, after suffering a ‘panic attack’ in the dock.

The court previously heard that Ma, who sobbed in the dock through most of her sentencing hearing, ran a ‘profitable and well-established’ brothel.

The naturalised British citizen, who was assisted in court by a mandarin interpreter, provided an opportunity for women of Chinese origin to earn money to remain in the country illegally.

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

Guoyan Ma leaving Liverpool Crown Court

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.

Money was given to Ma and collected by Marsh, 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’.

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 Ma’s ‘errand boy.’

David Marsh leaving Liverpool Crown Court

He would 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 in June following an eight-day trial.

Mr Parry explained this morning how Marsh was involved in the transfer of £10,000 to China and the collection of takings from Pyramid Court while Ma was away in China for a month in the autumn of 2019.

The prosecution said that this saw him collect around £2,000 a week for four weeks, so around £8,000, and around £18,000 in total.

It was accepted however that Marsh was ‘taken advantage of’ by Ma, with the court hearing how he was a ‘friend and client’ of Ma.

Despite this, a jury judged that he had a good awareness of where the money was coming from.

Rhys Rosser said little in defence of his client, who has no previous convictions, during the hearing, with judge Neil Flewitt stating that he had seen a document beforehand outlining Marsh’s mitigation, including his age and health issues.

Before sentencing, judge Neil Flewitt said: “By the verdict of the jury that convicted you, you knew what you were doing.

“I know you were doing it as a friend first and were acting under the influence of Ma, and I understand you were not doing it for financial gain.

“I am satisfied that she was taking advantage of you, but the jury was satisfied that you knew what you were doing and that it was a crime.”

Marsh, of Springclough Avenue in Worsley, was sentenced to a six-month community order including an electronically monitored curfew for three months.

Liverpool Crown Court

The court is to decide in the coming weeks if Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings are necessary, and whether Marsh benefited financially from his involvement.

However, judge Flewitt remarked that this was an ‘inappropriate’ course of action which would be a ‘waste of everyone’s time and energy’.

Ma meanwhile, of Clarence Street in Padgate, was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years, while Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings against her are continuing.

It was said in her defence that she did not know what she was doing was illegal until her arrest, but this was rejected by judge Flewitt who said he did not believe that ‘for a minute’.

Following a short break while the defendant suffered her ‘panic attack’ in the dock, it was concluded that her prison sentence could be suspended due to the risk of her being isolated in prison due to her English language difficulties, as well as her physical and mental health issues.

Sergeant Darren Wright, of Warrington local policing unit, previously 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.”