A SEX worker has told a jury there was "no way" she made a mistake when she said that a man captured on CCTV footage setting fire to her house was one of her clients.
The woman, who is in her 20s, was giving evidence yesterday at Derby Crown Court on the second day of the trial of Jan Koperdak.
The 45-year-old Slovakian is accused of setting fire to the brothel in Portland Street by posting a lit piece of paper inside a bottle through the letterbox when two women were in the property.
It is alleged that Koperdak, of Baker Street, did this just hours after he was abusive to one of the women living in the house after she refused to have sex with him for £3 on August 18.
The arson attack was caught on CCTV as, by coincidence, police were carrying out covert surveillance at the time of the comings and goings at the brothel.
Koperdak denies arson with intent to endanger life. He claims he is not the man in the footage.
The sex worker told the court yesterday that she had met Koperdak on two occasions – once when she went to his house and had sex with him and on the day of the fire, when he had come to her home in Portland Street and offered her housemate £3 for sex.
Referring to the CCTV footage, defence lawyer James Horne asked the woman: "Is it possible you were mistaken when you say he was a previous client and he just looked like someone?"
She replied: "There's no way I could mistake."
Mr Horne asked the woman why she had not told police but had told the jury about having seen the man on the afternoon of the fire.
She replied: "Because I was answering the questions the police were asking me."
Mr Horne asked whether the woman was saying he had come on the afternoon of the fire because that is what her house-mate, who gave evidence on Wednesday, had told her. She replied: "No."
Mr Horne said: "You're repeating what she told you, aren't you?"
The woman replied: "I have no reason to lie to you – it wouldn't help me in any way."
Mr Horne pointed out that the woman had told police she thought the man she had sex with was Polish, whereas Koperdak speaks Slovakian.
The trial continues.