Sydney man on trial for allegedly setting fire to a brothel after assaulting sex worker

A SYDNEY man is on trial accused of repeatedly assaulting a sex worker before setting her room on fire in a fit of rage.

AN ANGRY man allegedly set fire to a brothel after punching, kicking and choking a sex worker who he believed had scammed him out of more than $800, a Sydney court has heard.

Michael Joel Kay, 30, is on trial at the Downing Centre District Court for starting a fire at The World Famous Love Machine in Kings Cross after paying for sex with Anne McGarry in May, 2013.

The World Famous Love Machine was set on fire in 2013.

The top floor room set on fire.

Kay has previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the sex worker, reportedly aged in her 60s, and stealing her mobile phone.

He pleaded not guilty on Thursday to intentionally damaging a property by fire and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.

The court heard Kay paid Ms McGarry $285 in cash for sex in a private upstairs room at the strip club and brothel.

Ms McGarry is expected to tell the trial Kay didn’t remove his clothes or say much during their first 20 minutes together, the crown prosecutor said in her opening address.

He then gave Ms McGarry more money to buy further time with her, she said. While they were having sex Kay put his hands around Ms McGarry’s throat and started to choke her, she said.

The sex worker pushed him off and they both got dressed.

As they were leaving the room Kay attacked Ms McGarry, punching, kicking, dragging her across the floor and choking her again, the prosecutor said. “Ms McGarry fought back during this encounter, scratching and biting at the accused,” she said.

Kay then ran upstairs where he was nabbed by staff.

On his way back downstairs he allegedly “mumbled something about burning the place down”, the prosecutor said.

The Kings Cross club.

He picked up an empty glass bottle and said “get away or she’ll cop it”. Soon after a fire broke out upstairs, causing extensive smoke and water damage to three rooms, the court heard.

During a police interview, Kay admitted attacking Ms McGarry, claiming he was angry because she had scammed him by taking more than $800 without giving him the time he’d paid for, the prosecutor said.

She said Kay told police he ran upstairs with the intention of “trashing s***” to cause as much damage as he could in the shortest amount of time. But he denied deliberately causing the fire.

“He agreed he could have accidentally knocked over a candle while he was thrashing around,” the prosecutor said.

The judge-alone trial continues.