A woman has been fined £11,500 and given a 12-month suspended sentence by Judge Yvonne Murphy for managing and running brothels in Dublin.
Justine Reilly (33), White Oaks, Clonskeagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four sample counts of brothel-keeping and one of managing a brothel on dates from October 1999 to March 2000. She admitted full responsibility and told gardai she was earning about £3,000 a week.
Det Sgt Mary Delmar told Mr Bendan Grehan, prosecuting, the charges arose from an ongoing Garda investigation called Operation Gladiator. They related to three premises, on Parnell Street, Portobello Harbour and New Row Square, Chapelizod. Det Sgt Delmar, of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said that during a surveillance operation on the Stewart Hall apartments on Parnell Street in October 1999, gardai observed men entering the premises and leaving after about 30 minutes to one hour.
The men were interviewed and admitted receiving sexual favours for money. Gardai searched the premises and spoke to two females who said men called to receive sexual favours.
After further investigation gardai were led to a premises at Grove Road, Portobello Harbour. Men were interviewed leaving the premises and admitted to paying for prostitution.
Reilly herself admitted the gardai when the premises was searched. Two other women and a man were also present and the man told gardai he had paid £80 for a half-hour session.
Reilly told gardai she had worked as a prostitute and set up her own agency because of the unsavoury characters she met in the business.
Judge Murphy imposed a £1,500 fine in relation to the first premises and £5,000 for each of the other two.