2023-02-20
Landmark case sees jail sentences increased for forced prostitution after 'voodoo ceremony'
Stage: Appeal
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Mr Justice Birmingham said "we are satisfied that the sentences actually imposed in this case did represent a substantial departure from what we consider would have been the appropriate sentences in the circumstances". "In fairness to the sentencing judge, he was faced with having to sentence for a new type of offence in the absence of any comparator guidelines of appellate court guidance," said Mr Justice Birmingham. "While we have expressed disagreement with his calibration of the gravity of the respondents' offending conduct, we think it important to say that our recording of such disagreem Edosa, formerly of Market Point, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was also found guilty of 34 counts of money laundering offences, contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2020 and was originally jailed for five years and eight months overall.