Australia - from www.dailytelegraph.com.au - SEX workers who allegedly partied with a neurosurgeon accused of murder lost their bid to keep their identities secret yesterday.
Eight women will be called to give evidence against Suresh Surendranath Nair, charged with the murder of Suellen Domingues-Zaupa, 22, in November 2009, and the manslaughter of Victoria McIntyre, 23, in February 2009.
At a committal hearing in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court, Magistrate Carolyn Barkell heard a string of sex workers due to give evidence wanted their identities kept secret.
Among them are a prostitute named Terri, who the court was told now works in banking. She feared that being named as a prostitute could impact on her career and that of her father, the CEO of a "major company".
Another woman, known as Katie, left the scene when co-worker Ms Domingues-Zaupa died after the pair allegedly took drugs with Nair.
In supporting her bid to have her identity suppressed, Detective Senior Constable Ben Tearne, the officer in charge of the investigation into Ms Domingues-Zaupa's death, said: "She's worried about her safety, reprisals from the accused. She has expressed she has a boyfriend who she doesn't wish to find out about these activities."
Nair's barrister Peter Hamill SC, in opposition to the prosecution's bid to suppress the women's identities, asked: "The witness Katie was present at the time Suellen Domingues passed away?"
Sen Constable Ben Tearne replied: "Yes."
"Was it true that the witness Katie had arranged for the deceased to attend the accused's premises?" Mr Hamill asked.
"Yes," Sen Constable Tearne replied.
He also confirmed that Katie had taken drugs at Nair's home. Both women had been hired as escorts.
It is alleged that Nair supplied cocaine to each of them, on separate occasions, at his flat in the eastern Sydney suburb of Elizabeth Bay prior to their deaths.
Ms Barkell refused the application for all the women except one, who has moved to the US since the alleged offence and therefore cannot be forced to attend court.
"The witnesses are not victims of crime for which the accused stands before the court," Ms Barkell said.
"They are witnesses who were with him, they were engaged with him in their work as escorts.
"They will be called to court without the protection of anonymity."
The hearing also heard from its first witness Anna Monaghan [pictured] who was the director of HM Escorts and arranged for Ms McIntyre, working under the name "Lisa", to attend Nair's home on February 14.
Ms Monaghan told the court it was the agency's custom to place "a safety call" to escorts shortly after arriving at a client's home.
"When we spoke to her she said she was fine and having fun," Ms Monaghan said.
