Mosley's ladies: I did not see anything Nazi

Tuesday 8th July 2008

One of the women involved in a sado-masochistic session with motorsport boss Max Mosley rejected an allegation on Tuesday that there had been any Nazi role-play.

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, took the stand at the High Court as a witness in Mr Mosley's landmark breach of privacy action against the News of the World.

Identified only as Woman D, she told Mr Justice Eady during the second day of the case in London that what had taken place was a "prison fantasy".

Woman D, who is in her 20s and a student, said: "I did not see anything Nazi."

Mr Mosley, the 68-year-old son of the 1930s Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, has said: "A Nazi theme would be abhorrent to me - and I suspect that none of the women would wish to take part should anyone suggest such a theme."

Mr Mosley, president of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) says that his life was devastated by the expose of what the newspaper called a "sick Nazi orgy with five hookers" and is asking for an unprecedented award of punitive exemplary damages.

Dark-haired Woman D said that when she found out that one of the other women taking part in the session had secretly filmed it, she was "horrified".

She said: "I didn't think that anyone on the scene would do anything like that."

As she told the court that those involved would try to "make sure everything remains secret", she burst into tears.

News Group Newspapers is strongly contesting the action and argues that publication was justified in the public interest.

Woman D said the newspaper's description of what happened on March 28 was "absurd".

The description of herself and the other women involved as "hookers and prostitutes" was "offensive".

Woman D, who has a website for "like-minded people", said that on March 28 she felt she was "amongst friends, doing something I enjoy and all those involved enjoy".

She said she has known Mr Mosley for about 18 months and met him at a party arranged by Woman A and was introduced to him as "Mike".

"Since that first experience with the claimant I have seen him a number of times and we have forged a friendship."

She said she first found out who Mr Mosley was when she and Woman A flew out to Monaco to see him.

Referring to the newspaper article, Woman D said: "I am particularly appalled at the accusations that our scenarios had any Nazi connotation or overtones. No Nazi images, uniforms or material were used."

Asked by David Sherborne, junior counsel for Mr Mosley, about her view of the NoW's description of the activities being "grotesque and brutal", she replied: "Well, grotesque, I do not think so ... It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy it."

She said she did see why she could not enjoy such activities in her "own space".

Woman D denied there was anything brutal about the activities.

It could be painful, but "not excruciating", she said, adding: "I would rather be doing CP (corporal punishment) a long way over going to the dentist."

Cross-examined by Mr Warby, she denied that she was "financially dependent" on Mr Mosley.

Woman A, or "Mistress Switch" as the newspaper described her, told the court she had been involved in BDSM (Bondage Discipline, Dominance and Submission) all her adult life.

The well-dressed blonde said the corporal punishment scene was "like a huge family" and anyone who stepped outside the accepted norms of behaviour was frozen out.

She said she never allowed drugs at any party she was involved in as it could give a false ideal of what level of pain people could take or inflict.

"When I am being dealt with, just as when I deal with others, there is no maliciousness or anger involved - it is just fun, exciting, an endorphin rush."

She said she valued the income from the "spanking parties" she organised, but it was not about the money.

Referring to woman E, who talked to the News of the World and filmed the events with a hidden camera, she said she "was one of my closest friends before she betrayed me so horribly by going to the newspaper about Mike (Mr Mosley)".

She said woman E was a dominatrix and that they both used a house, which E and her husband owned in the Milton Keynes area, for parties - E had a dungeon upstairs while A used downstairs.

A said that Mike contacted her via a website two years ago and they quite quickly became close.

"Mike is an extremely charming, mild-mannered and interesting man."

She attended parties with him, they dined out together and she went to see him in Monaco.

She described the first German prison scenario of March 8 as "hugely sexy and fun", and did not view it in any way Nazi.

She denied she had told E that the March 28 session, for which the five women were paid �2,500 by Mr Mosley, would have a "very strong Nazi theme", or that "Mike" ordered one.

"I would not contemplate putting on such scenes which I would find distasteful and I would expect most people to be disgusted at the suggestion of a Nazi theme and respond similarly."

She said that after the second scenario that day, everyone had a few glasses of wine, relaxed and chatted.

"Strangely, woman E started discussing her marital problems and how her husband had knocked her out, she mentioned this at some length. This line of conversation struck me as being unusual and inappropriate. On reflection, her behaviour was strange throughout the day."

A said she was in a "state of shock" when she heard about the article and was "astounded" at the Nazi accusation.

"I am disgusted that the defendant published the article and posted the video as what took place was on a strictly private basis. I remain shocked and extremely upset when I think of it.

"I was also particularly appalled at the thought that one of the women must have betrayed the trust that we all had in each other.

"Perhaps wrongly, I feel partly responsible, because I introduced woman E to Mike. I regret that decision bitterly, but at the time I had no reason to mistrust her."

After the article appeared, she deleted her personal emails and packed clothing in her panic.

"My home is my sanctuary and it didn't feel safe anymore. The whole situation was so unsettling that I was not sure who was watching me and my family and what they might try and do or obtain."

A said she had been contacted by the newspaper's Neville Thurlbeck, who had offered her a "substantial sum of money" for an exclusive interview, guaranteeing anonymity.

"I did not consider the amount substantial; in fact I think that my private life is priceless."

Woman A told the court that she and the other "girls" were very good friends and she had hundreds of photos of them "just giggling and enjoying what we call the scene".

She said that role-play was "like children playing Cowboys and Indians, it's adults having fun".

She said that she and "Mike" were always egging each other on.

"On that particular day (the 28th), he was saying 'let's see how strong your right arm is' and try and get me to go a high level.

"It's consenting adults and because I've played with him so much I know how much I can push him.

"You set yourself a certain level - 12 cane strokes - and once that number has been set you want to get there.

"It's like being in a competition. You want to win the race. It's the feeling you get afterwards - it's the best feeling in the world."

She added: "It's great. You are on a natural high. It's an endorphin rush - whether delivering it out or receiving.

"It's like as if you've just run the marathon - you have set yourself this challenge and want to get past this certain point.

"It's a great feeling and we've all had a good time doing it."

She said that she and the girls were not always paid and that "before all this palaver" they were going to do a birthday party for Mr Mosley.

She said the German theme arose after they heard woman B speaking to Mr Mosley in German at a party at the beginning of the year.

"We said 'that's really sexy and horny and wouldn't it be great if we did a scenario like that', and then it went from there."

She said that the way scenarios developed was like "when you are in the pub with your friends and it's lovely and sunny and you say 'why don't we go for a picnic tomorrow?'

"Everyone gets really enthusiastic about it and then myself and 'Mike' will work on something together."

Mr Sherborne held up a black and white striped top and trousers, and asked A if they were the uniforms she had purchased for the prisoners.

Agreeing, A laughed out loud and apologised to the judge, as counsel flourished the garments, saying; ''Is this the one? I'm not going to try it on."

Mr Sherborne then produced an invoice from Jokers' Masquerade for the hire of six adult prisoner convict costumes.

A said that it was not intended to replicate concentration camp uniforms, as the newspaper suggested.

Tall black-haired Woman B told the court in a strong German accent that the session on March 28 was neither grotesque or brutal as the newspaper alleged.

"Under no circumstances. It's a party. It was fun. I was so ill on that day and I thought I can't let go of that fun."

She said that she played a guard in the second scenario wearing a German Luftwaffe jacket which she had bought a few years back in Camden Market to wear to a concert.

She was also wearing a suspender belt, stockings and the black patent leather high-heeled shoes she was wearing in court.

Asked if it was a Nazi scenario, she said: "Under no circumstances, and I'm very upset and offended because it is an insult and offence if a newspaper equates German with being Nazi - my grandparents were not members of that party.

"It makes me so cross and angry. Nobody on this planet can make me do something like that and our friend did not suggest anything like that."

She said that "Mike", whose real identity she did not know at the time, never suggested such a theme.

"Never has anyone approached me because people who know me know I am not anything like that and I would never do it, I would walk away."

Cross-examined by Mr Warby, B said that she did not "pick up" on A referring to "Aryan race blondes" during the March 8 session.