THE PARTNER of a woman charged with operating brothels in Cork made significant payments to the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) over his involvement in organising prostitution in the city, a court heard yesterday.
Tom Creed, defending, told the all-male jury at the trial of Caroline O’Leary (39) that Ms O’Leary’s partner, Tony Linnane, had made “significant payments” to the Cab after it pursued him over his involvement in prostitution and brothels in Cork.
Ms O’Leary, Scartbarry, Watergrasshill, denies 69 counts of organising prostitution and brothel-keeping at addresses at John Street and Grafton Street in Cork between January 26th, 2006, and May 24th, 2007.
The jury had earlier heard that Linnane, of the same address, had already pleaded guilty to organising prostitution and brothel-keeping at both the Lower John Street and Grafton Street premises which are connected to a sex shop on Grafton Street called Jade Winters.
Marjorie Farrelly, prosecuting, had outlined the case against Ms O’Leary, saying the jury would hear how gardaí raided the brothels on November 20th, 2006, and found cameras hidden in sockets which were used to film men having sex with prostitutes.
Ms Farrelly said the State would produce evidence that they found a notebook in Ms O’Leary’s handbag when they raided her house and this notebook contained names that corresponded to the names of women found on the roster sheets in the brothels.
The notebook also contained phone numbers and some details about the women in terms of their age and what they looked like, and would prove that Ms O’Leary assisted in the operation of the brothels, Ms Farrelly told the trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The prosecution would also present evidence that a computer was seized at Ms O’Leary’s home with an advertisement looking for prostitutes and carrying contact details for someone called Jade and this matched a document seized at the Grafton Street shop.
The case continues before Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin.