Special constable and Hungarian wife ‘ran prostitution ring’

A special constable and his Hungarian wife flew in women from eastern Europe to work as prostitutes and enjoyed ‘luxury lifestyles’ from the proceeds, a court heard.

Ivett Szuda, 32, and Karl Ring, 34, allegedly paid more than £100,000 rent for apartments for the women to use in Chelsea, including a flat at Chelsea Cloisters.

Mother-of-two Szuda was the point of contact for Hungarian women who ‘answered online adverts offering work for prostitutes’, and jurors hears they used the money they generated to pay for holidays and designer clothes.

The pair are accused of running a website called Kensington Angels advertising more than 100 prostitutes at one point, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

The women were told they could make up to £300 a day and would split half their earnings with the couple, the court heard.

Ian McLoughlin, prosecuting, said Szuda was also known as Eva by the girls.

He said one of the women became a sex worker after working for the couple as their nanny.

Ring made a profile for her on Kensington Angels and asked her if she would like to work as a prostitute, the court heard.

Mr McLoughlin said the nanny declined, but her family in Hungary were experiencing financial difficulties, so she accepted the offer and moved out of the house into an apartment in Barons Court.

He said: ‘The circumstances for her family took a turn for the worst. She decided to start working for the couple as a prostitute.

‘It was decided that she should stop working for the couple as a nanny.’

Ring was employed by the Metropolitan Police as a special constable from 2013 to 2015, jurors heard.

Szuda has no record of working in the UK nor or claiming benefits, the court was told.

But one of the women who worked as a prostitute for Szuda and Ring said the couple led a lavish lifestyle with the cash they made.

Mr McLoughlin told the court: ‘She said that both defendants liked the good things in life.

‘Gold jewellery, expensive clothes, luxury holidays.’

Szuda used the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air to fly women into London from Budapest, the court heard.

McLoughlin told jurors how the apartment at Chelsea Cloisters was paid for.

‘The rent for the premises was paid each month from Ms Szuda’s bank account until it was paid by a family member.

‘The occupier was also given as Ms Szuda’s mother.

‘She was registered as a single occupier and she was given a single occupier discount.’

The court heard the couple paid more than £100,000 in rent for apartments for the women, including at Chelsea Cloisters, pictured

Referring to revelations over the weekend about prostitutes allegedly working from Chelsea Cloisters – an apartment block owned by property tycoon Christopher Moran, Judge Robin Johnson told jurors: ‘I am told there has been some media coverage over the weekend as to owns Chelsea Cloisters.

‘The story focused on a man who was a donor to a major party.You should ignore it so far as your decision making is concerned.

‘You should make your decision making on what you hear in the court.’ 

Mr McLoughlin said 11 women are named on the indictment as having been controlled by Szuda and Ring for the purposes of prostitution.

But he claimed many more unknown women worked for them.

He added: ‘The women by and large have come voluntarily.

‘However willing a particular individual concerned may have been the moving of anyone into the UK if it’s found that you are going to control them in prostitution is an offence.’

The couple were arrested on 27 June this year at their £740,000 home in Hanwell, west London.

Police officers found £20,000 in cash at the address, jurors heard.

Ring and Szuda both deny 12 counts of controlling prostitution for gain, four counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation and one count of possessing criminal property.

Szuda alone denies three counts of arranging or facilitating travel with the view to exploitation.

The charges date from between January 1, 2011 and June 27 this year. 

The trial continues.