A Portuguese dominatrix who ran an international sex-trafficking and prostitution racket, earning over £100,000 in the process, has been made to repay just £1 to the public purse.
Fabiana De Souza, 43, and her English husband Gareth Derby, 55, were jailed for a combined 10 years in February last year after they were caught trafficking sex workers from Brazil and Portugal and running a brothel in Harrogate, where many of the sex workers were based after being flown in from abroad.
Jessica Strange, prosecuting at today’s financial confiscation hearing at Leeds Crown Court, said that De Souza, who was excused attendance at court, had made £136,484 from the human-trafficking plot but had just £1 available in her accounts.
She said the prosecution’s financial investigator found that she had no hidden assets.
Derby, who appeared via video link from Moorland prison, had made profits of £28,288 and had £1,045 in cash or assets available.
Mr Recorder R Ward ordered him to pay £1,045 into the public purse but De Souza was ordered to pay a solitary pound.
The former dominatrix was given one month to pay or face a further four weeks in prison. The former sex worker is due to be deported from the UK when she’s released from jail.
De Souza’s barrister Michael Fullerton said she was due to be deported on August 21.
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He claimed that some of her financial gains during the trafficking racket were from her work as a beautician and in the fitness industry.
He said this money was “not…earned by her as a dominatrix with her own website during that period”.
Women treated like ‘commodities’
During the trial at the same court in December 2021, the jury heard that De Souza and Derby, from Norfolk, had been “flying in” sex workers from Europe and South America.
Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC said the couple treated the women like “commodities” as they made massive sums from their illicit trade.
De Souza, who provided dominatrix services to people in Harrogate, was said to be the ringleader of the “large-scale commercial operation” in which she and Derby, a high-earning engineer and machine specialist, flew in sex workers from Brazil and Portugal, paid for their flights and met them at airports, before sending them to sex dens where men paid for “massages” and “full (sex) services”.
They had exploited the “vulnerable” women for “significant” financial gain by “controlling (their) finances (and) choice of clients”, said Mr Lumley.
The prostitutes were put at a “significant financial disadvantage” and forced to lie to police to avoid detection.
De Souza and Derby, who ran the lucrative business from their home in East Anglia, were arrested in August 2018 and charged with controlling prostitution for financial gain and human trafficking.
They each denied the charges, but the jury found them guilty on both counts following a 10-day trial.
The charges related to six named women who worked at the Harrogate brothel and two properties in Norfolk between April 2017 and August 2018.
Mr Lumley said De Souza rented a two-bed flat in Harrogate town centre through a letting agency “so it could be used for sex…which would be advertised on the internet by these two defendants”.
De Souza and Derby would pay for sex adverts within hours of picking the women up from airports around the country and would “set them up” at the flat on Bower Road.
The adverts were placed on escort websites and included descriptions of the women.
They took the bookings and “made the arrangements (with the clients)” who would pay various amounts – from £80 for half an hour to over £1,000 for an overnight stay.
Thousands in bank transfers
Between May 2017 and August 2018, some £38,000 cash was deposited into De Souza’s bank accounts at branches in Harrogate and Norfolk. About £9,000 of bank transfers were then made to accounts in Brazil and Portugal using a money-services bureau.
Mr Lumley said one woman was flown in on an EasyJet flight from Amsterdam and was picked up by the couple who had driven from Norfolk in a 4×4 pick-up. Derby also drove a Mercedes.
They would arrange for a train ticket to be available at the airport as they moved the women around the country “or put them on a bus and sent them up to Harrogate or somewhere else”.
Following her arrest, De Souza, who is serving her sentence at a women’s prison in Peterborough, told police she had left her husband in September 2017 with the intention of divorcing him and moved to Harrogate “where no-one knew me”.
She had rented the Bower Road flat for over £700 a month and let rooms out to “others”, some of whom were “friends from Portugal”.
Derby said only that he had an “inkling that Fabia worked at the Harrogate flat as a dominatrix”.
In a text sent to a friend in January 2018, he boasted of being a “smuggler of women”.
Police trawled through the accounts of De Souza and her husband and found they had spent “thousands on air fares” and over £2,000 on adverts alone.
An undercover officer posed as a client to make appointments for the brothel on Bower Road. De Souza would answer the calls in “broken English” and arrange the appointment.
The officer was offered a “range of services”. On his first visit, dressed in civilian clothes, he was met by a sex worker named ‘Lisa’ who buzzed him into the flats above shops.
De Souza and Derby, of Town Street, Upwell, south-west Norfolk, were each jailed for five years in February 2022.
Long-standing Harrogate sandwich business for saleA long-standing sandwich takeaway in Harrogate is up for sale.
Wedges & Co has been a mainstay on Cold Bath Road for many years.
But the owners are looking to sell the business and have a “well-deserved retirement”, according to listing agent Alan J Picken
Wedges, which sells hot drinks, breakfasts and cakes as well as hot and cold sandwiches, is on the market as a leasehold business for £149,950 plus stock at valuation.
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Alan J Picken, which is an Ilkley firm that specialises in selling businesses, says the company’s 2022 takings were £268,397 and net profit was “in excess of £100,000”.
The listing says:
“The business currently operates on most convenient opening hours five days a week, however there is scope to extend opening hours particularly Saturday to Sunday to increase sales and maximise profits.
“There is also scope to maximise sales via increasing the outside catering book and large sandwich orders for events/lunches.”
Wedges declined to comment about the sale when contacted by the Stray Ferret.
Developer appeals Harrogate office block conversion refusalA developer has appealed a council decision to refuse a plan to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats.
Bramhope Property and Investments Limited tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the the former office block off Clarence Drive into 12 two-bedroom flats.
It would have seen the ground, first and second floors converted.
However, the authority rejected the plan in May this year on the grounds that the flats would not have enough natural light.
In a decision notice, the council said that existing trees and hedges at the site which would lead to “large amounts of shade” to the flats during the day.
Now the developer has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.
In documents submitted to the inspector, the developer argued that the council’s reason for refusal was “not based on any detailed technical evidence”.
It said:
“The local planning authority considers that the proposal would fail to provide adequate daylight within all apartments.
“However, the appellant has provided a detailed assessment following national guidance.
“This demonstrates that appropriate levels of daylight can be provided and as such the proposal is acceptable.”
Read more:
- Council rejects Harrogate office block conversion over natural light concern
- Developer withdraws Harrogate office block flats plan
A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.
The move comes after two previous proposals to change the use of the office block to residential were refused in 2022.
Meanwhile, another application by Artium Group was withdrawn in July 2022 amid concern from the former Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.
Business Breakfast: Harrogate firm manufactures 10 millionth energy display deviceA Harrogate company has manufactured its 10 millionth in-home display for smart meters.
Chameleon Technology, which is based on Otley Road, has supplied the devices to energy companies since 2012.
The devices connect to a home’s smart meter in order to show how much energy is being used.
The company delivered the 10 millionth in-home display this summer. It has manufactured on average 1.6 million devices a year.
An example of an in-home display manufactured by Chameleon Technology.
Mike Woodhall, co-founder and chief executive of Chameleon Technology, said:
“Manufacturing and delivering 10 million IHDs to UK households is a milestone to be proud of.
“Access to real-time energy data is a crucial step to enable low carbon solutions to have maximum impact and provide tangible benefits to all UK households.
“Continued uptake of smart meters, alongside the real-time data provided by IHDs, will help build a flexible, decarbonised and digitalised energy system that will benefit both the environment and consumers through lower energy bills.”
Housing developer acquires new site in Leeds
A Harrogate housing developer has acquired a 223-home site in Leeds.
Casa By Moda, which is based at Beckwith Knowle, will take on the site which is called Abbey Court and is based between Kirkstall and Headingley.
The company acquired the site from Artisan Real Estate and it is set to include 223 family homes.
The site in Leeds which has been acquired by Casa By Moda.
The houses will range from one, two and three-bedroom homes.
Matt Townson, director of development and projects at Casa by Moda, said:
“We’re entering an exciting phase with the delivery of our first neighbourhoods, and as a business headquartered in Yorkshire, Casa, Abbey Court is special for us, as it marks our first neighbourhood that will open in our home region.
“With demand for rental accommodation remaining high, our approach as a long-term owner and operator is to create not only high-quality, sustainable homes, but new communities that go beyond bricks and mortar by actively supporting the wellbeing of our residents.”
James Bulmer, regional director for Leeds-based Artisan Real Estate North, said:
“The collaboration with Casa by Moda provides a significant opportunity to deliver much needed new homes for rent in one of Leeds’ most desirable suburbs for young professionals and families alike, offering fantastic connectivity to the city centre.”
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New Mexican restaurant to open in Harrogate tomorrow
A Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar is to open in Harrogate tomorrow.
The Rooftop is situated in the large upstairs premises above Sukhothai on the corner of Cheltenham Crescent and Cheltenham Parade.
The short-lived HG1 Grill and World Bar opened on the site in November last year. It was previously occupied by restaurants Samsons and Le Bistrot Pierre.
The Rooftop is divided into two areas — a restaurant that can seat about 70 people and a cocktail bar that can cater for about 100 customers.
The restaurant will serve Mexican meals, including tacos and burritos, and will feature tapas options.
The restaurant area
The late night bar will have live DJs at weekends.
Owner Mason Elyas, who lives in Leeds, has been involved with several restaurants in West Yorkshire but this is his first in Harrogate. He said:
“I’ve always loved Mexican food and I thought there was an opportunity in Harrogate. It’s a beautiful place and local people seem very supportive.”
The Rooftop, which employs 16 staff, will welcome its first customers at 4pm tomorrow. It will then open from 4pm to midnight on Thursdays, from midday to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and from midday to 10pm on Sundays.
It will be closed Monday to Wednesday.
Mr Elyas said he took control of the site just three weeks ago and new signs were due to be installed tonight.
Harrogate resident claims council did not properly minute planning meetingA resident who objects to 53 homes being built on Knox Lane in Bilton has complained to the council about its minute taking at meetings which she says falls “well below” the standards expected for public bodies.
At North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee this week, Adele Lawrie-Wilson addressed councillors about the minutes produced following a meeting on May 31 regarding the controversial housing scheme by developers Jomast.
Planning committee meetings are usually streamed live on YouTube. But technical difficulties on the day meant the only way to watch proceedings was in the council chamber.
Ms Lawrie-Wilson said residents who were unable to attend could not get an accurate picture of what was discussed due to “missing information” and “inaccuracies” in the minutes, which were later published on the council’s website.
She said:
“Given the livestream wasn’t available and no alternative recording was made, I would have expected more detailed minutes taken.
“There was no recording of what Cllr Haslam spoke about or what several residents covered in their speeches. It also omitted any content of the fairly tense debate.”
Read more:
- Controversial Knox Lane 53-homes plan deferred for third time
- Concerns over ‘undemocratic’ planning meeting on Knox Lane houses
Ms Lawrie-Wilson also said the minutes recorded the council’s planning officer Nick Turpin saying no houses were proposed in the Special Landscape Area, which is incorrect.
She added:
“I urge that the minutes are expanded to give a more accurate recording of the meeting that took place.”
Mr Turpin responded to the claims and said it is not in the council’s practice to produce verbatim minutes of meetings.
He said:
“They accurately reflected the decision taken and reflect good practice. The published minutes meet all legal requirements and follow the council’s agreed standards.”
However, Mr Turpin conceded that his comment about the SLA was inaccurate and would be changed.
The Knox Lane plans will go before the council’s planning committee again at a later date.
Harrogate Hydro delay will see no change in £13.5m project budget, says councilA delay in opening Harrogate Hydro due to “unplanned work” will see no change in its budget, council officials have said.
The Hydro is undergoing a £13.5 million refurbishment and will welcome customers back under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.
However, North Yorkshire Council confirmed last week that the centre will not re-open until after the school summer holidays. It had been planned to open in August.
In a statement, Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, said the Hydro’s reopening would be delayed until September due to “unplanned works being required”.
He added:
“Refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved and this complex construction is no different.”
The Stray Ferret asked the council what the unplanned works are and whether this would cost the council any more than its budgeted £13.5 million for the project.
A spokesperson for the authority said:
“There is no one thing, it is a culmination of works discovered during the complex refit.”
They added that there would be no change to the budget for the scheme.
Read more:
- Confirmed: Harrogate Hydro to reopen after school holidays
- Cost of delayed Harrogate Hydro refurbishment increases by £1m
The leisure centre in Jennyfields closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.
But January’s scheduled re-opening did not happen. In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.
However, Mr Harne said previously the Knaresborough scheme was still due to re-open later this year.
Mr Harne said:
No trains in Harrogate and Knaresborough on Saturday amid further strikes“The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre remains on-track to open in November.”
Train passengers in the Harrogate district are set to face further disruption this weekend amid strike action.
Members of the RMT Union are set to strike on Saturday, July 29, over a pay dispute.
Northern, which operates trains between York and Leeds through Harrogate, has announced that the industrial action will affect services.
It means no trains will run through Harrogate or Knaresborough stations on Saturday.
The company has also urged passengers to check before they travel on Sunday (July 30) as “some services may be affected”.
The move comes as the district was hit by two days of strike action last week, when RMT members walked out on July 20 and July 22.
At the time, Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:
“Yet again, thousands of our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this action by the RMT union.
“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”
Defending the move, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said:
“This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.
“My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers.
“Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”
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Police appeal after car window smashed in Harrogate
Police have appealed for information after a car was damaged in Hollins Road in Harrogate.
Officers said the incident happened at 2am on Tuesday (July 25) when a driver’s side rear window of a Peugeot 207 was smashed.
In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said two men dressed in dark clothing were seen running away from the scene towards Hampsthwaite Road.
Police added:
“Anyone with information that could assist officers with their investigation should email Sam.Clarke2@northyorkshire.police.uk.
“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Sam Clarke.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230138046 when passing on information.”
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Special touches help Vida Healthcare residents feel at home
This story is sponsored by Vida Healthcare.
Anyone who has supported a loved one living with dementia knows how much time, energy and understanding is required to maintain their wellbeing and quality of life. A dementia journey can vary from person to person and symptoms can also change over time, therefore caring for someone living with dementia can be incredibly complex.
James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, discusses why specialist care is crucial for people living with dementia and how care home operators can ensure they protect the health and wellbeing of their residents.
About Vida Healthcare
He said:
“Vida Healthcare was established in 2010 with the aim of transforming the care available to people living with dementia. It was clear at the time that the majority of traditional residential care homes simply didn’t have the resources or the expertise to fully support their residents as they progressed on their journey with dementia.
“We set about challenging perceptions and practices in dementia care, with an emphasis on reducing the use of medications and to instead provide bespoke environments and alternative therapies to improve wellbeing and quality of life.”
Vida Healthcare now operates three specialist dementia care homes in Harrogate, which are all rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission as of June 2023.
Vida Hall in Starbeck.
Creating the right environment
When creating a care home, there are lots of aspects to consider. The choice of textures, colours, lighting and multi-sensory equipment can all actively promote a sense of stimulation, while innovative layouts can help to reduce anxiety, frustration and stress.
Memories are extremely precious, particularly for people living with dementia. Every environment and item can be specifically designed to trigger memories and encourage residents to share stories with staff, family and friends.
Different places are important to encourage residents to keep active and improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Gardens and terraces which have been incorporated into our three homes provide safe spaces that can be freely accessed.
Daily life
Care home residents should be encouraged and supported to make their own choices about how they spend their time to maintain independence and wellbeing. We encourage our residents to pursue their own interests and hobbies, socialise with their neighbours and treat the home as their own.
Where residents feel at home.
The passion, positivity and enthusiasm of staff is a key aspect of creating the right environment. Every staff member at Vida has the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to provide the best possible care and help people lead happy and fulfilling lives. We do this through training and practice which is rooted in creative connections.
Friends and family are a big part of life at any care home and communication with families is essential. Vida developed an in house app which offers a digital platform for families to see pictures and videos of their loved ones and life inside our care homes on a daily basis.
Wellbeing & life enrichment
Mr Rycroft added:
“We know that giving people a sense of purpose and self-worth is vitally important to their wellbeing. Whilst we do have wellbeing facilities, it is en-grained in our staff that it is all of our responsibilities to help our residents live a joyful and fulfilled day.
“We are focused on maintaining the independence and dignity of our residents. That might be just helping someone make their own cup of tea, or promoting someone to do simple house tasks like washing up and setting the table. Sustaining those every day tasks that sometimes we take for granted.
“We support our residents to remain a part of the local community and encourage them to get involved in a range of activities. Regular outings to the local town, parks and gardens is a fantastic way of getting residents to socialise and keep active.”
Vida Court opened in 2021.
For many people, a key factor when it comes to choosing a care home is the food. It’s important to offer a choice of delicious meal options that take into account dietary needs and preferences. Offering flexibility is important, from serving residents at regular mealtimes to giving them the choice to eat at different times in their own room.