Liberty Swingers Club

A man who ran a swingers club has admitted managing a brothel.

Brian Sheridan ran Hamshaws in Scaynes Hill, near Haywards Heath, with his wife Caroline.

Plans for a three day fetish festival on the ten-acre site were halted when police stopped it going ahead in 2006.

Sheridan and his wife ran the club where swingers met to have sex with each other, often as others watched. But residents complained about activities there and brought in their own private investigator to infiltrate the club.

Karen Holt, persecuting, said up to 60 men attended Pandora's Party nights held there every Wednesday night. The event was run by a prostitute who called herself Pandora, Hove Crown Court heard. She paid rent for the use of the club to Brian Sheridan and had two other prostitutes working with her.

The privte investigator said Pandora and her girls had group and individual sex with clients in the club's games room while other men watched. On a second visit a month later he saw a leather-clad man and woman build a torture rack in the club's main play area. The man was put face up on the rack and blindfolded before being whipped and given electric shocks as hot wax was poured on his chest. Other guests used rooms in the club's 'Wicked Chalet' for sex while being watched by male customers.

Sheridan and his wife, from Cobham, Surrey, were arrested and denied managing a brothel between November 2005 and June 2006. Sheridan changed his plea to guilty before his trial was due to start. The prosecution offered no evidence against Mrs Sheridan who was found not guilty on the direction of the judge.

Judge Cedric Joseph said he will almost certainly give Sheridan a ten-month prison sentence suspended for two years. However, he adjourned sentence until August 11 so that a decision can be taken on how much unpaid community work Sheridan must do.

A former policeman who admitted running a brothel has been spared being jailed.

Brian Sheridan ran Hamshaws, also known as Club Liberty, a club for swingers, with his wife Caroline.

Their plans for a three-day fetish festival on the site at Scaynes Hill, near Haywards Heath, were halted by police in 2006.

Local nutters had hired a snitch private investigator to infiltrate the club. He discovered up to 60 men were attending Pandora’s Party nights held at the club every Wednesday.

The event was run by a prostitute called Pandora and paid Sheridan for use of the club but had two other prostitutes working with her.

Private eye snitch Richard Clarke posed as a new member in April 2006 and paid a ฃ150 entrance fee. He said Pandora and her girls had group and individual sex with clients in the games room while other men watched.

Sheridan and his wife, from Cobham, Surrey, were arrested but denied managing a brothel between November 2005 and June 2006.

They were due to stand trial at Hove Crown Court last month but Sheridan changed his plea to guilty at the last moment. Prosecutors offered no evidence against Mrs Sheridan who was found not guilty on the orders of the judge.

Sheridan was given a ten-month prison sentence suspended for two years. Judge Cedric Joseph also sentenced Sheridan to 40 hours unpaid community work.

Update: Planning to Demolish

30th September

A former brothel and swingers club could be demolished to make way for luxury homes.

If the plans are accepted, it would be the end of a piece of history for the sleepy village of Scaynes Hill, near Haywards Heath.

On Thursday, Mid Sussex District Council will consider the plans to change the face of Hamshaws in Sloop Lane.

The land was bought last year by Scandia Hus. Planners will decide whether to demolish all buildings, including the club house, and allow four detached houses.