Judge in tears as denies slave allegations
The case continues at Oxford Crown Court
Last updated 6th Mar 2025
A United Nations judge was in tears while she gave evidence in court, as she was questioned over accusations that she deceived a young woman into coming to the UK to work as her slave.
Lydia Mugambe denied the accusations being put to her by her defence, Paul Raudnitz KC, and became emotional, took tissues to wipe her face and said "I'm sorry but it's too much", adding "you can't just take lies" and "we worked for our careers".
Mugambe, 49, is accused of taking "advantage of her status" over the woman in the "most egregious way", while she studied for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford.
Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, is alleged to have stopped the woman holding down steady employment and forced her to work as her maid and provide childcare.
On Thursday at Oxford Crown Court, Mr Raudnitz asked Mugambe if she arranged the woman's travel intending to exploit her in the UK.
Mugambe said: "I never exploited the woman in Uganda, why would I exploit her in the UK?"
The defendant then became emotional and carried on speaking through tears.
Mr Raudnitz asked Mugambe if the woman ever "worked under a threat of penalty or consequence from you", and the defendant replied "no".
He asked: "Did you ever agree with anybody else to intimidate the woman to stop her giving evidence in these proceedings?"
Mugambe replied: "No, I would never do that."
Earlier on Thursday, Mugambe told jurors she was "emotional because I was in shock" after she attended a police station voluntarily and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
Mr Raudnitz asked why she was described as emotional at the time, and the defendant said: "Because I was in shock, I was emotional because I was in shock."
Mr Raudnitz said Mugambe was released on bail then attended the police station again the next day, and he asked her: "Why did you go no comment in the second half of these interviews?"
Mugambe replied: "Because of the solicitor's instruction and direction."
The court heard that the defendant sent police a number of prepared statements.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, asked the defendant if she lied in this case, and Mugambe replied: "I said yesterday that when the police first came to me I made some misrepresentations, and I acknowledge that."
Ms Haughey said the Crown says the "misrepresentations are lies", adding: "They're not flexible facts, they're deliberate untruths."
The prosecution said Mugambe's explanation was that she was "shielding people", and the defendant said she was shielding the alleged victim.
Ms Haughey said the Crown says "that's another lie" and added "the person you were shielding was yourself", to which the defendant said "that's not true".
In body-worn footage from when police went to the defendant's home, she said "I'm a judge and she came to help me with work", Ms Haughey said.
Ms Haughey said the defendant's account now is that the alleged victim never worked for her and carried out "light tasks".
The defendant said: "I don't know what you mean by light tasks. What I am saying is the alleged victim did not come to work for me."
She added that she said that as she was shielding the woman.
Ms Haughey said: "She had been working for you, you just chose not to pay her."
The defendant replied: "You're so wrong Ms Haughey, I was shielding the woman.
"My understanding was, if I said she's not supposed to be here, it would get her in trouble."
The defendant is accused of engaging in "illegal folly" with Ugandan deputy high commissioner, John Leonard Mugerwa, in which they allegedly conspired to "facilitate the commission of a breach of the immigration law".
The defendant is also alleged to have attempted to intimidate her alleged victim into dropping the case.
She denies conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
The trial continues.
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