Witness says he paid £20 for sex with girl

A 31-year-old man has told a jury he paid £20 to have sex with a teenage girl brought to his north Shropshire home more than three years ago.

Faizal Sameer said that the girl was with a Pakistani man who came to his house near Market Drayton on three occasions.

He told Stafford Crown Court yesterday he gave money to the man – later identified as defendant Mubarek Ali who denies charges relating to child prostitution.

"He asked me if I had a girlfriend. If I didn't have a girlfriend I could have sex with the girl, if I paid him money. I thought he was joking, but he said that he was serious," said Mr Sameer.

He said that he gave the man £20 and was told to go upstairs and that the girl would follow. "She came upstairs after a couple of minutes and she said that I had paid money and could have sex with her. We had sex. The girl had a condom," he added.

He later picked out Mubarek Ali, 29, in an identification parade.

The girl, who was 16 at the time, is one of the alleged sex exploitation victims of Ali and his 24-year-old brother, Ahdel Ali.

Questioned by Mr Andrew Dowden, for Mubarek Ali, the witness denied he was confused about how many times his client had visited the house.

"And I suggest you did not pay my client to have sex with the girl?" said Mr Dowden.

"Yes, I did. I have put my hands on the Koran," said Mr Sameer.

Mubarek Ali, of Regent Street, Wellington, denies controlling child prostitution and trafficking in the UK for sexual exploitation. Ahdel Ali, also of Regent Street, denies allegations of rape, sexual activity with a child, controlling and inciting child prostitution and meeting a child after grooming.

The trial continues.