Community service for subletting Dundalk house for use as a brothel

A 60 year old Hong Kong man who sublet a house in County Louth for use as a brothel was last week sentenced to 200 hours community service at Dundalk Circuit Court in lieu of an 18 months.

Sammy Hui with an address at the time at Wellington Quay, Drogheda pleaded guilty to being the tenant, lessee, occupier or person in charge of the premises at Chapel Street, Dundalk, knowingly permitting it, or part thereof to be used as a brothel for the purpose of habitual prostitution between April first 2019 and November 25th 2021. 

Evidence in the case was heard earlier this month and the sentencing was put back to last Thursday for finalisation.

Judge Dara Hayes noted how gardaí in Dundalk had mounted a surveillance operation after unusual activity was observed by neighbours, who had noticed foreign women with suitcases arriving by car or taxi, with one elderly woman having been particularly plagued by men mistakenly knocking on her front door on at least 10 occasions.

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She resorted to turning lights off in her home as a result and the court heard she was particularly concerned when both her granddaughter and 13 year old great granddaughter had answered the door to the men.

Garda spoke to a number of men and a woman who they had seen leaving the premises and the woman told them she was a prostitute and had been paying €350 a week in rent.

The defendant initially denied being implicated in the activities in the brothel and claimed he had merely sublet the property to others but Judge Hayes said Whats App messages seemed to implicate him in what was going on in the premises.

The court had previously heard the woman who had contacted gardaí had made a note of the registration numbers of the cars which regularly dropped off and collected the women on a three weekly basis and it was established that one of the cars belonged to the defendant.

Judge Hayes said Mr Hui was of the opinion that no-one was hurt and the women involved were consenting adults, but he said that was incorrect as the neighbour was significantly affected.

The defendant had no mental health or addiction issues and admitted being motivated by greed.

Noting the defendant’s been in Ireland for approximately 30 years, had no previous convictions of note and has not come to garda attention in the interim, Judge Hayes sentenced him to 200 hours community service instead of an 18 month jail term but Hui was warned if he breached the order, he faced serving that sentence.

After being told there was "a certain sensitivity" about the Defence’s original suggestion that the €1,000 in court as a token of remorse be given to Women’s Aid, Judge Hayes directed that it go to the Dundalk Simon Community instead.