A JAILED Black Country sex boss could be freed amid allegations cops withheld vital evidence at his trial.

Carl Pritchett was banged-up for two years in 2006 for managing the Cuddles brothel in Birmingham which made millions of pounds before it was targeted in a high profile police raid.

In July 2010 Pritchett was jailed for a further seven years for failing to pay £2m in illegal proceeds however a judge says the original conviction could be undermined.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge Michael Dudley said paperwork suggested police had not disclosed a witness statement to Carl Pritchett that suggested prostitutes were working at Cuddles voluntarily.

The judge said: “There is information in there undermining the conviction, that the police were in possession of a statement revealing people were working in these premises voluntarily 16 days before the raid took place.”

He said police had stressed the raid was an organised operation to rescue women who had been trafficked into the United Kingdom to work in the sex market.

The judge added: "I am pretty sure I was told at the time of the trial that there were no statements from prostitutes that in any way undermined the case, that there was nothing available to undermine the trial but there patently was 16 days before the raid."

At the time of his conviction Pritchett, aged 57, of The Parade, Dudley was living at Holbeache Road, Wall Heath, and the original trial heard police raids at the address found evidence linking him to Cuddles.

The case is now being examined by the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Judge Dudley said there may have been an “abuse” of the system.

He added he would be writing about the disclosure of the evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Dudley revealed he had read fully papers handed to him by Pritchett at a previous hearing and went on: "You can detect I am pretty displeased with the way the matter came to trial.

“It doesn't necessarily mean the conviction will be overturned but all I know is that there is a serious question mark and it is a blatant non-disclosure."

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We are aware of the judge’s comments in court. If asked we participate fully in any Criminal Cases Review Commission investigation.”