Robert William Nicholson, Xiaoqiu Liu hired rooms to prostitutes

A Brisbane couple who hired motel rooms to prostitutes across Queensland during an 18-month period have been sentenced in court.

A Brisbane couple who hired motel rooms out to prostitutes across the state have been sentenced in court.

Robert William Nicholson, 65 and Xiaoqiu Liu, 58, pleaded guilty to four counts each of having an interest in premises used for the purpose of prostitution in the Brisbane Magistrates court.

The court heard the couple were site managers for a Brisbane motel, but owned several other facilities, including one in Mackay.

The police prosecutor said the pair had been hiring out rooms to several prostitutes for about 18 months before police intervened.

Xiaoqiu Liu outside the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Mark Nolan said one charge was a result of the pair knowingly allowing premises to be used by two or more prostitutes in Mackay between 16 April and July 30 2019.

The court heard that it is not an offence if one person uses a room in such a way but there was more than one person using a room for prostitution.

Defence barrister Chris Wilson said the couple were not aware they were breaking the law.

“Neither of them thought what they were doing was illegal,” he said.

“They were made aware by police intervention and stopped straight away.”

He said the couple hadn’t profited from the provision of prostitution and had only made money from the occupancy of the rooms.

Magistrate Nolan fined Nicholson and Liu $2000 each with no conviction recorded.