State wants to confiscate €252k made in brothel

A brothel-keeper’s prostitution operation was taking in up to €4m a year, a court has heard.

Martin ‘the Beast’ Morgan, 49, ran a brothel and prostitution business that Judge Frank O’Donnell described as a “magnificent operation, highly sophisticated and highly rewarding and not a petty little business working on a shoe string”.

Morgan with addresses at Herbert Lane, Ballsbridge, and Blackstock Rd, London, and formerly of Blacksheep Rd, Blanchardstown, was convicted in 2008 and served a three-year jail term imposed by Judge O’Donnell. He was also fined €24,000 at the time.

Yesterday, the Director of Public Prosecutions made an application to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to confiscate assets of €252,908.33, a 1996 Jaguar car, and cash.

Fergal Foley BL, prosecuting, told the court that gardaí had carried out a surveillance operation on Morgan and a premises on Bachelor’s Walk in Dublin between Aug 2005 and Oct 2005.

He said that, after Morgan’s arrest, gardaí examined the meticulous records kept by Deena Edridge, the on-site manager of the premises. Edridge was later jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to allowing the apartment be used as a brothel.

From these records, gardaí calculated that, during the 49 days of their surveillance, Morgan earned over €250,000. The State wants to confiscate this money. Mr Foley said that if this figure was annualised, it would mean Morgan was taking in cash of just under €4m a year.

He said that, in an affidavit against the State’s application, Morgan said he had to pay for toiletries and cleaning products from his earnings and had rent overheads. He is also claiming to have had to pay legal fees to defend himself in his trial.

Morgan also claims that he incurred expenses travelling from London to attend court as well as expenses staying in hotels.

Diana Stuart BL, defending, said her client was no longer involved in prostitution and wanted to get on with his life.

“This is going on a long time,” said Ms Stuart. “He is now a man of straw. He has paid everything he has. The trial took up a significant amount of money.”

She said he is now living in England with his brother and has set up a building company.

Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned the matter until June.