Brothel Charge Woman Must Pay £1k Surety To Leave NI

A woman charged with keeping a brothel and controlling prostitution in Belfast has asked to return home to Germany on holiday.

A judge ordered Nicole Preisner, 35, to hand over £1,000 as a surety and said she must show proof of travel bookings.

Ms Preisner, whose address is at Holywood Road in Belfast, was detained as part of a PSNI investigation into prostitution and human trafficking in Northern Ireland.

She was arrested in January, alongside an Austrian woman.

Her co-accused Angelika Schneider, 43, of College Central Apartments in Belfast, is facing the same charges.

Neither woman is accused of any trafficking offences.

At Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Ms Preisner's lawyer said his client wanted permission to visit Germany on holiday and wanted to reduce a bail condition that she must report to police three times a week.

The court heard she is on benefits and can only raise £300 as a cash surety.

The judge agreed to reduce Ms Preisner's reporting conditions but said she must still put up £1,000 before leaving the jurisdiction.

The court heard that if it had been her intention to flee Northern Ireland, she could have done so at any time as she still had her German driving license.

An investigating detective confirmed he had no evidence that Ms Preisner had been operating brothels after being charged.

(NE)