A convicted brothel-keeper has been jailed for 18 months by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the false imprisonment and assault of a baby-sitter she had accused of stealing £1,200.
Karen Leahy (32), Patricks Park, Clondalkin, mother of five chlidren, had been on bail since July 4th when she had been found guilty by a jury.
Judge Yvonne Murphy suspended nine months of the sentence, taking into account the defendant's medical history of depression, eating disorders and stress related illnesses.
Judge Murphy said the appropriate sentence was 18 months but she was taking into account an offer of euro10,000 to Ms Godkin as compensation, Leahy's five children and her medical history.
Leahy's co-accused, Liza Brophy (33), Hartstown, Dublin, was also found guilty of falsely imprisoning the babysitter and was sentenced to three months imprisonment on July 10th last.
Both women had been convicted of falsely imprisoning Ms Charlotte Godkin who had been babysitting for Leahy at Sunbury Gardens, Dartry, Dublin in December 1998.
Leahy was also convicted of having assaulted Ms Godkin and pleaded guilty to criminal damage of some of Ms Godkin's clothes.
Judge Murphy said Leahy and her co-accused had tried during their trial to label Ms Godkin as a thief and a liar but were not believed by the jury.
Leahy received an 18 month suspended sentence and £6,500 fine last October when she pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to keeping a brothel between September 17th and September 22nd, 1999.
The court heard on that occasion that the brothel was advertised under the name Penthouse Pets and was run at the Winter Garden Apartments on Pearse Street.
Detective Sergeant George McGreary told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Coffey BL, that Ms Godkin had started working as a baby-sitter for Leahy in October 1998 and everything seemed to be fine.
In the afternoon of December 16th, which was a Wednesday, Leahy discovered she was missing some money and accused Ms Godkin of taking it.
She denied she had taken the money and Leahy had started screaming and shouting. She had picked up a hammer and had threatened to "do a nice job" on her legs. Leahy had hit Ms Godkin on the head a couple of times with her fists.
Det Sgt McGreery said Ms Godkin had been kept in a spare bedroom and in a bathroom over the next two days. .
At one point Leahy had entered the bathroom with some of Ms Godkin's clothes which she had cut up. Later during the time she was kept in the bathroom, Ms Godkin broke the bathroom window and shouted to passersby for help.
When Ms Godkin was released, she went to the gardai who searched Leahy's house and found some items the victim had described.