Child sex abuse trial: Accused denies forcing girl into prostitution

Shelley Davies (40) is charged with conspiracy to procure a woman to become a common prostitute, conspiracy to rape and false imprisonment all between 1993 and 1995.

The complainant, a 38-year-old woman who cannot be named, claims MacGregor and Davies befriended her when she was under 16 and still in care and invited her to live with them at MacGregor’s address in Rawmarsh.

The woman said she had been forced to stay at the address by the women, offered to co-defendant Qurban Ali and other men for sex in exchange for money, and another defendant Arshid Hussain had also come to the house and forced her to have sex with men.

In her police interview in June 2015, Davies said she knew the complainant through MacGregor and they had both lived with her.

MacGregor agrees Davies did live with her, but denies knowing the complainant and said she could not remember her living at her home.

The transcript of Davies'interview was read to the jury at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

Davies said: “I can't really remember how we befriended her, Karen just seemed to look after me as I was growing up.

“I was in a place called Rush House, that’s part of what she used to do.

“There was a few of us living there, not just me.”

Davies said she had lived with Karen from being 16 to around 20 which is when her criminal record “progressed”.

She added: “It was a bad move me going to live with Karen, she seemed to get me in to trouble, I know I have got my own mind and can say no.

“I’ve been in prison a couple of times through it, (the) best thing I ever did was leave that group of people.”

Davies told the police she and MacGregor had got into credit card fraud and cheque fraud, and after she had gone to prison for a second time and did not see MacGregor again.

“Karen used to be like a mum to us, help us, provide for us,” she said.

“If we needed anything she gave it us is how I used to see it.

“But if I look back I would say she took me for an idiot really.

“She didn't expect anything, I used to babysit for her.”

Davies added: “She never seemed to get caught, it all used to get pushed on me, I don’t know why I didn’t say no, didn’t want to break us up by saying no.

“I don't think the other girls were involved in credit card fraud.”

Davies said she had come out of prison before her 21st birthday in 1996 and the last time she had seen MacGregor was ten to 15 years ago.

Davies said MacGregor had a lot to do with a certain family from Masbrough who lived on Clough Road and that she thought “it was a bit of a wheeling and dealing thing” but hadnever asked about it.

Davies said: “She (MacGregor) used to like driving round all the places where the Asians were, Tinsley, Masbrough.

“Sometimes it would be all of us, sometimes just two, a lot of the time she wouldn’t stop and talk to anybody, just drive.”

Davies told police she never saw any sexual activity in MacGregor’s house, “not unless it was behind closed doors” and was never asked by MacGregor to engage in sexual activity in return for her board.

Davies denied forcing the complainant into prostitution, adding: “I have been there, I’ve had that done to myself, I would never put that on anybody else at all."

Davies said she had never profited through the complainant having sex.

She said: “I’ve never had any money, (the) only time I've had money was when I took control of it (her life) like now.

“I don’t know how I've got through my life to be honest.”

MacGregor (58), of Wath, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiring to procure a child to become a common prostitute and false imprisonment.

Davies (40), of Wainwright Road, Kimberworth Park, is charged with conspiracy to procure a woman to become a common prostitute, conspiracy to rape and false imprisonment.

They are charged alongside five men for a total of 63 offences.

All the defendants deny all the charges against them.

The trial continues.

Child sex abuse trial: the defendants and charges