A former transport consultant for the Government has received a two-year jail sentence for keeping brothels.

Thomas Lyons, from The Warren in Malahide, gave advice to the Government on a major infrastructure project and to local authorities including Fingal County Council.

The 57-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges of keeping brothels in Craddockstown and Sallins in Co Kildare.

He has previously been found guilty for similar offences in Dublin and Limerick, but escaped with suspended sentences for those.

Neighbours

Naas Circuit Court heard that Lyons used the false name of Joe Ryan to rent premises at 1a Church Court, Craddockstown in July 2013; and in Sallins on unknown dates between October 2012 and March 2014.

The matter came to the attention of gardai when neighbours complained about the amount of men calling to the Craddockstown address.

Gardai in Sallins saw Lyons driving into the apartment complex in a gold Mercedes and became suspicious.

He cooperated with gardai in both instances and admitted his role.

Judge Michael O'Shea heard that Mr Lyons had marriage difficulties that dated back to 2009 when he had left the family home and began a relationship with a woman who had experience in the prostitution industry.

With money being tight for them they decided to rent property for prostitution.

"He was intoxicated by her and by the lifestyle. He was foolish and out of control," said Lyons's counsel Barry Murphy.

As a result of his arrest and conviction Lyons has now lost his job.

He was a senior consultant with Atkins Ireland, which had been involved in the past in advising Fingal County Council and designing support services for the Metro West light rail project in Dublin.

According to Atkins Ireland's website at the time, Mr Lyons was the company's contact point for the Metro West light rail project, and their 'Head of Transportation Dublin'.

As a result of the investigations into his criminal activity Lyons had to make a significant settlement with the Criminal Assets Bureau and had to sell property as a result.

Judge O'Shea said he was not impressed by the argument that Lyons had been manipulated by his former girlfriend, and said he was a well-educated man and had gone into the relationship with his eyes open.

He imposed two two-year sentences to run concurrently.

In June last year Lynch and a Brazilian woman, who directed one of the most sophisticated prostitution operations of its kind in the mid-west region, walked free from court after pleading guilty to three counts of brothel-keeping at Bishop's Quay, Harvey's Quay and Grove Island in Limerick between August 2010 and July 2011.

Escort

Lyons received a four-year suspended jail sentence, while his co-accused was given a suspended 18-month jail sentence.

In December 2014 Lyons was given a two-and-a-half year suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay over €10,000 to charity after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to permitting an apartment at Burnell Court, Northern Cross, Malahide Road, to be used as a brothel between February 22 and June 22, 2011.

Lyons told gardai he had initially rented the apartment so he could live there with his Brazilian girlfriend, who was involved in the escort industry but whom he had met socially.

When they split up he advertised the property for €700-per-week on an Irish escort website to help pay mortgages on three properties and to support his wife and children.

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