A CHINESE takeaway owner has told a Cardiff crown court jury that he regularly had sex with a woman at two addresses in Newport.

Kwok Lau, a married father-of-three said he had placed advertisements in the Argus for "Asian or Oriental massage" on behalf of the woman and as a result had had free sex from her.

Angela Choo, 39, of Caerau Road, Newport, has pleaded not guilty to four charges of running a brothel and denied two charges of money laundering.

David Edmunds, 60, also of Caerau Road, has admitted money laundering and assisting in the operation of brothels.

Choo, said Mr Hughes, came to the UK from Shanghai in 2003, initially worked as a prostitute and then began managing prostitutes across south Wales from Newport to Port Talbot.

The profits, he said, were substantial and through Edmunds she had transferred up to £60,000 to her husband in China.

The two of them, he said, had developed a relationship.

Technically, said Mr Hughes, they operated in houses for about six months until the landlords became suspicious and the business would then move.

In Newport, he said, there were operations in Birch Hill, Malpas, two in Stow Hill and others in King Street and Cardiff Road.

Matters came to light when a TV licence officer went to one of the Newport houses because she didn't have a licence.

She offered him sex and rubbed herself against him. Four days later she was arrested.

Mr Lau told the jury that he became aware of "services" after reading advertisements in the Argus. He would initially pay £60 for half an hour.

Later she asked him to place advertisements in the paper costing £315 for two weeks because she didn't have a credit card or a cheque book.

Thereafter sex was free.

He said he believed she had been running a brothel.

Mr Lau said that on one occasion, when he was at home in the Rhondda area, he was put under arrest by five or six police officers in the presence of his wife.

"It was mob-handed" he added.

Proceeding