THREE women who ran an ‘efficient and professional’ brothel in an upmarket Oxford street were sentenced yesterday.

At least 20 prostitutes worked in the Jericho property, which was described as a “sophisticated operation” by a recorder in Oxford Crown Court.

Edwina Kalay, Lisa York and Amy Gabriel all admitted one count of keeping or managing a brothel used for prostitution in Cranham Street on June 24 last year.

Prosecutor John Law said when police raided the property they found bedrooms containing baby oil, but no personal items and no evidence anyone was living there.

He told Recorder Antonio Bueno that Kalay, who is a former sex worker and mother-of-four, set up the business and was the “driving force” behind it.

The barrister said 52-year-old Kalay employed York, 48, of Lakefield Road, Littlemore, Oxford, as a receptionist and her second in command, under the nickname “Max”.

Mr Law said Kalay’s 30-year-old daughter Gabriel, of Holbeck Street, Anfield, Liverpool, was employed as another manager.

He said at Kalay’s home address in Lakefield Road a white board was found listing women’s names, days of the week and amounts of money.

Mr Law added that officers previously raided the property in April 2012 because of an unrelated matter and found £13,200 and another list of names.

He said this suggested the defendants’ involvement in brothel-keeping had gone on for longer than the four months they admitted to.

The barrister said: “There is evidence, very good evidence, that the three defendants were involved in a previous venture run by Miss Kalay, which was a similar sort of operation.”

Recorder Bueno read out text messages from Kalay to the women she employed, where she scolded them for asking for more money and trying to find out what others were paid.

One message said: “Do not question my authority, I am the boss, and do not go to my receptionist behind my back.”

He said it was clear that for every man prostitutes slept with, the business took £40.

Recorder Bueno said: “It was a pretty sophisticated operation and totally controlled and managed from a financial standpoint.”

But Clare Wade, defending Kalay, said no form of coercion or force was used to control the women, all of whom were over age and “wanted to be there”.

She added that her client turned to prostitution and eventually brothel keeping after escaping with her three children from an abusive relationship.

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Miss Wade said: “That entire relationship was characterised by the most extreme domestic violence, not only towards her but also towards her children.”

Tim Bass, defending York, said she became a sex worker after she was sexually assaulted during a burglary in 2002, almost as “a way of her getting control back”.

He said: “She is extremely remorseful for what has occurred. This is not a place where she ever expected to find herself.”

Julian Lynch, defending Gabriel, said his client’s “view of what normal conduct is” had been warped by her mother’s lifestyle.

He said: “Having seen the sex trade going in around her from a very early age, it created a view of it that wasn’t in line with society as a whole.”

Sentencing the three women, Recorder Bueno said in such establishments the potential for women to become “damaged and abused” was high.

He said: “The driving force behind all this was Miss Kalay, next in the sequence of authority was Lisa York and then finally Amy Gabriel.”

Kalay was sentenced to 12 months in prison, while Gabriel and York received jail sentences of four and nine months respectively, suspended for 18 months.

Both Gabriel and York were also given supervision and unpaid work requirements.

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