Brothel madam told to pay up

1:08pm Wednesday 14th September 2005

A madam convicted of managing a brothel in Radlett was ordered to pay more than £136,000 at St Albans Crown Court last week.

Suzanna Culling, aged 38, from Earl's Green, Haverhill, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment back in June after pleading guilty to managing brothels in Berkhamsted, Cambridge and above an opticians' shop in Watling Street, Radlett.

Culling was arrested in July 2004 following a joint operation between Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police's vice unit.

Yesterday, Judge Cripps ordered that she pay £136,803 of the available assets' gained from her criminality.

He also estimated that she made £1.67 million from her crimes.

If these sums are traceable in the future, further assets could be seized from Culling.

The application to seize funds from Culling was brought by Hertfordshire Constabulary under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Detective Inspector Jon Chapman said: "This case indicates how we will work with the courts to rigorously enforce legislation, especially the Proceeds of Crime Act, to ensure people do not benefit from their criminal conduct.

"This is one of a number of cases that we are pursuing through the courts and anyone who is deemed to have benefited from a criminal lifestyle is likely to be stripped of the assets they have gained through offending.

"This is a key means of ensuring that criminals are unable to continue to profit from their activities."