A Kildare man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman when she tried to stop him taking nude pictures of her has been given a two-year suspended sentence.
James Byrne (48), a single man from Standhouse Road, Newbridge, admitted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last year that he assaulted the unnamed woman - whom he met through an escort agency - occasioning her actual bodily harm, in Jury's Inn, Christchurch Place, Dublin, on March 27th, 1996.
The court heard yesterday that Byrne had paid the woman compensation and had agreed never to approach her again.
Passing sentence, Judge Cyril Kelly said the woman had clearly been working as a prostitute but added: "Irrespective of how she was earning her money the court has to protect her from unlawful photography and assault".
Defence counsel Mr Seamus Sorahan said his client had paid £3,500 compensation to the woman. The court was told at the earlier hearing that he assaulted the woman when she tried to stop him taking photographs of her lying naked in the hotel bedroom.
Byrne had met the middle-class and "cultured" housewife at the Gentlemen's Club agency after responding to an advertisement in In Dublin magazine, Garda Fiona Cornally said.
He continued to see the woman, described as being "blessed with great beauty", for six months and felt romance was blossoming.
He paid £150 an hour for their meetings and they had had sexual intercourse.
The woman received £90 and the agency £60. Twelve women worked for the agency.
Judge Kelly estimated the owner could make up to £720 an hour on a busy day.
When the woman moved to the Ambassador agency she continued seeing Byrne. In reply to Judge Kelly, Garda Cornally said she could not say if In Dublin was "just an advertisement space for prostitutes". She agreed that prostitution was illegal in Ireland.