Hereford couple ordered by court to sell home after drug dealing convictions
The criminal benefit from their crimes was judged to be £187,580.00
A couple from Hereford convicted of dealing cannabis have been ordered by the court to sell their home to repay the financial gains they made from their drug trafficking enterprise.
Mark Clarke, aged 50, and Jemma Clarke, 42, both of Webb Tree Avenue, Hereford were sentenced at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (22nd April) after a CID warrant executed at their home in May 2023 led to their arrest.
They were both found guilty of possession with intent to supply cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, and entering into/being concerned in the acquisition/retention/use or control of criminal property.
Mark received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside 200 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation requirement, confiscation of drugs and paraphernalia, and a £187 victim surcharge.
Jemma Clarke was sentenced to the same except for the unpaid work order being 150 hours.
Further charges for both of being concerned in the supply of a class B drug – cannabis and acquire/use/possess criminal property were ordered to lie on file.
The Clarke's prosecution followed a police search at their home, where officers discovered cannabis and cannabis products worth an estimated street value of £7,340, drug dealing paraphernalia, a knuckle duster, cash, and mobiles with drug dealing related messages.
West Mercia Police's Economic Crime Unit (ECU) analysed the couple's bank transactions, uncovering cash deposits of £97,395 into a joint account from January 2020 to April 2023 and additional payments into another account over the same period totaling £32,029.
A separate account under Jemma Clarke held deposits of £47,087.99 over the same period.
The criminal benefit was judged to be £187,580.00 with an identified available amount under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) of £154,200.00 from the sale of their home.
The money must be paid within three months, or they will face a default sentence of 12 months in prison. The money would still be owed upon release from prison.
T/Insp Rachel O’Brien from the ECU said:“We are pleased to get this result under POCA for such a large amount which reflects the level of the Clarke’s drug trafficking and could put them behind bars if they don’t pay up.
“We hope this shows the public we will punish criminals in the pocket through the courts where appropriate so they cannot financially benefit from illegal enterprises such as this one.”