Councillor who was discovered in brothel is referred to Ombudsman

A COUNCILLOR who was found in a brothel “covered in lipstick” has been reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Merthyr Tydfil council’s leader has said.

Welsh Labour councillor Brent Carter, who serves Merthyr Tydfil council, was discovered inside a brothel “covered in lipstick” when police were carrying out a search in May 2015, a court heard last week.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard on Friday that a warrant was executed by police on May 8, 2015, at a property in the Dowlais area of Merthyr.

The property in Regent Street had been used as a brothel for around a year.

The court case saw Leon Hall, 36, of Heathland Way in Llandarcy, Neath, appear in the dock where he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for one year, and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work after previously pleading guilty to one count of keeping a brothel used for prostitution.

The court also heard how Councillor Brent Carter was inside the property at the time.

The court was told that within a few minutes of Coun Carter entering the property, police also entered the terraced house, where Mr Carter was found “covered in lipstick”.

Responding to the incident, Merthyr Tydfil council leader Kevin O’Neill – an Independent councillor who was elected in May – said a complaint had been lodged against Coun Carter, who serves the Plymouth ward, with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about public services in Wales and complaints a local authority member has broken their Code of Conduct.

Mr O’Neill said: “I have asked the matter be referred to the ombudsman.”

Speaking at the court case for brothel owner Leon Hall, defence barrister Andrew Taylor said: “Councillor Brent Carter, a man who holds office, a man who went there, who decided to go there of his own volition, a man who went there because he trusted the premises.

“It underlines how, if you like, responsible Mr Leon Hall was in vetting people who went to these premises.”

The court heard the terraced building has been used for a brothel for around a year before a warrant was executed by police, with reports from neighbours of men arriving at “all hours of the day and night”.

After searching the property, police also seized items including Durex products and around £4,000 in cash was recovered from a separate property in Beacon Heights, Merthyr, as part of the investigation.

In May 2015, Merthyr Tydfil council issued a press release confirming that “as a result of nuisance and anti-social behaviour” they had successfully applied to the courts for a closure order in regards to a “suspected brothel” at the address in Regent Street.

Welsh Labour and leader of the Labour group at the local authority, Councillor Chris Barry, have been contacted for a comment.