A police community support officer (PCSO) has been jailed for nine months after he laundered tens of thousands of pounds from a brothel run by his prostitute wife.
Sean Griffin, 44, a Police community support officer with the Met Police, was arrested after cops found wife Debbie, 44, with four ''clients'' at his flat in Stevenage, Herts.
Police seized diaries revealing Griffin's wife has used their rented flat as a brothel and been a prostitute for more than 20 years.
The couple raked in £176,000 – including £116,000 in profits – from the prostitution racket and used the cash to pay off the mortgage on their home.
Griffin was jailed for nine months at Cambridge Crown Court after admitting money laundering. He denied a charge of running a brothel and this will now lie on file.
Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: ''The money was put into your bank account which I am told only represents a fraction of the profits.
''You are a weak man who avoids confrontation. You took Deborah Griffin back after your marriage split and failed to stand up to her and took the benefits for a period of time.
''These are serious offences because you made much money. You failed to take action in what you knew was criminal and wrong.''
Judge Hawkesworth jailed Debbie for 16 months for keeping a brothel used for prostitution and converting criminal property and transferring criminal property.
He said: ''You have pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel between July 2008 and July 2010 although it is appropriate to point out you have been in that premises from 2005 working on your own.
''I accept that there was no intimidation or trafficking of girls it was a very English enterprise but a criminal one and a profitable one.
''You are a strong woman rather than the vulnerable person you portray yourself as.''
The court heard Griffin, from Stevenage, Herts., was suspended from the Met Police after he was arrested in July last year but has now been sacked.
Police raided a two-bedroom rented flat in Stevenage on July 21 2010 after a tip-off and found Debbie and another woman with four men.
Inside the flat cops also found naked pictures or women and price lists for sexual acts hanging on the walls and several sex toys.
Janette Hayne, prosecuting, said: ''There was a computer that showed a website was being built up to advertise the business.
''There were advertisements in local and national papers and each bedroom has pictures of girls and price lists on the walls.
''Mr Griffin bought his wife stockings and lingerie for the business.''
Judge Hawkesworth ordered a Proceeds of crime application (Poca) hearing to force the couple to pay back the financial gains from their prostitution racket.
Official figures released in June last year revealed that 122 Met Police Pcsos had been sacked for disciplinary offences since 2005 – ten times the firing rate for police officers during the same period.
''These are serious offences because you made much money. You failed to take action in what you knew was criminal and wrong.''
Judge Hawkesworth jailed Debbie for 16 months for keeping a brothel used for prostitution and converting criminal property and transferring criminal property.
He said: ''You have pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel between July 2008 and July 2010 although it is appropriate to point out you have been in that premises from 2005 working on your own.
''I accept that there was no intimidation or trafficking of girls it was a very English enterprise but a criminal one and a profitable one.
''You are a strong woman rather than the vulnerable person you portray yourself as.''
The court heard Griffin, from Stevenage, Herts., was suspended from the Met Police after he was arrested in July last year but has now been sacked.
Police raided a two-bedroom rented flat in Stevenage on July 21 2010 after a tip-off and found Debbie and another woman with four men.
Inside the flat cops also found naked pictures or women and price lists for sexual acts hanging on the walls and several sex toys.
Janette Hayne, prosecuting, said: ''There was a computer that showed a website was being built up to advertise the business.
''There were advertisements in local and national papers and each bedroom has pictures of girls and price lists on the walls.
''Mr Griffin bought his wife stockings and lingerie for the business.''
Judge Hawkesworth ordered a Proceeds of crime application (Poca) hearing to force the couple to pay back the financial gains from their prostitution racket.
Official figures released in June last year revealed that 122 Met Police Pcsos had been sacked for disciplinary offences since 2005 – ten times the firing rate for police officers during the same period.
21 Mar 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment