A woman will be sentenced next year after admitting a town massage parlour was a front for a brothel. 

Shu Choy, 68 and of Lorian Close in London, and Mingzi Shi, 40 and of Fox Road in Farnham, Surrey, had both denied conspiracy to corrupt public morals by allowing premises in Ipswich to be used as a brothel at a plea hearing in 2022.

They also both denied a charge of possession of criminal property.

On Tuesday as the trial was due to begin, it was heard a resolution had been reached. 

The court heard that the pair, who are mother and daughter, were arrested after police began to investigate the comings and goings of an address in Upper Orwell Street in the centre of Ipswich.

The premises was advertised as a massage parlour but was “a front for what was in reality a brothel”.

When two undercover officers visited the premises in October 2021, wall charts showed the names of the young women working there.

Without making uses of the services offered, the officers were able to confirm that the building was being used for prostitution. 

The court heard a full search of the property then commenced, with records showing that customers would typically pay £120 for services from the “masseurs”, who did appear to be working there voluntarily. 

Handwritten records showed a “large-scale prostitution business” had been in operation. 

Choy was said to have been the tenant of the property, and to have been convicted in 2011 for running a prostitution business there and at two other locations.

It was said that she had resumed the practice, which was run between her and a man who mostly lived in China. 

Choy was said to take a monthly fee from the business, which was described as “rent”.

The trial of the two women was due to get underway on Tuesday.

However, a resolution was reached between the prosecution and defence when it was agreed that alternative charges would be presented to Choy, with the dates refined as to when the offences were alleged to have taken place.

Choy therefore pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to corrupt public morals between June 12 2019 and October 19 2021, in that together with others she conspired to allow a premises to be used as a brothel for financial gain to all involved.

She also pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property during the same period, relating to credits paid into am HSBC account in her name.

The view was taken by the prosecution that it would not be in the public interest to pursue a case against Shi alone.

Therefore, Judge David Wilson returned verdicts of not guilty in relation to Shi. 

Choy will be sentenced together with Ines Ogata, who is also said to have been complicit in the running of the brothel, on February 7 next year.