Earlier trial coverage: A man claiming to be a police informant working in a Surbiton brothel gave a tip-off nine years ago that led to the cracking of a £1m sex trafficking ring, a court heard.
Michael Dalton, 43, is accused of running a lucrative brothel in Glenbuck Court, behind Surbiton station, which he denied, saying he was working for police trying to free Thai women from prostitution.
But police said they deregistered him as an informant and warned him if he became involved in crime he would not be let off.
In 2001 Mr Dalton told police about a brothel in Coppers Mead, Sycamore Grove, New Malden, run by his girlfriend’s sister.
At the outset of his trial at Croydon Crown Court, which began on Friday, April 23, his long-term girlfriend, Nikki Chen, admitted her part in running four brothels, including Glenbuck Court, advertised in newspapers as Aloha.
Mr Dalton, who lived with her in Kingston Road, Leatherhead, was arrested on July 1 last year, after a nine-month police surveillance operation. He was alleged to have shouted “customer” to girls in a brothel in front of an undercover officer.
Mr Dalton and Chen are alleged to have banked £160,000 between October 2008 and their arrests.
Opening the prosecution case, counsel Bill McGivern said Mr Dalton, who listened from the dock wearing a hearing aid headpiece, was using the truth about his official informant past, between October 2007 and January 2008, to avoid conviction.
He said: “He was told at the time he no longer had any authority to work on the behalf of police.
“He continued to contact police officers on a number of occasions and was told his assistance was not needed and that he was not authorised to seek information for the police.
“He was also warned if he was involved in criminal activities he could end up being arrested and would get no preferential treatment or immunity from prosecution.
“He is now using his past activities to explain and justify his criminal conduct.”
The court also heard police started a surveillance operation of the brothels in October 2008, as well as of Chen, Mr Dalton and five others’ homes.
It was alleged police followed the accused, made calls to their flats to find out if they were selling sex, and sent undercover officers to visit the girls.
Plain clothes officers would visit the brothel but always make an excuse – including having a headache – and leave before sex.
Commenting on pictures of the brothels, which contained pictures of a maid’s outfit and handcuffs, Mr McGivern said: “You see just how ordinary these premises are.
“It could have been in anybody’s neighbourhood.”
The trial continues.
Original story from April 30, 2010 at surreycomet.co.uk 
David Lindsell 