Craigavon: Mother ‘disappointed’ by human trafficking sentence

Caitlin Hanna, who was trafficked, spied on and sexually assaulted by Brown, had just turned 21 when she died from a suspected drug overdose in his former home in Lisburn in March 2022.

Judge McColgan told the court that Brown drove Caitlin to sex appointments, helped her set up a profile on a sex for sale website and supplied her with drugs.

“On one occasion he was to take her to meet a client however she told him she was too sick to go so he gave her heroin from the clock in the kitchen to smoke so that she would go,” the judge said.

Speaking after Brown’s sentencing, Caitlin’s mother, Deborah Hanna, said: “It’s just very disappointing regarding the charges because it doesn’t really send out a very strong message to people that there are severe repercussions for offences against women.”

Judge Donna McColgan KC told the court she had read the “poignant and heartfelt” victim impact statements from Ms Hanna, and Caitlin’s grandfather, Raymond, as well as a further victim impact statement from one of Brown’s other victims.

Ms Hanna said she was “consumed with haunting images of [Caitlin] being trafficked across the city we call home to strange men who had no regard for her body”.