FOUR drug gang members who accrued nearly £2 million each from flooding North Wales and Shropshire with Class A and B drugs will pay back just £1.
Charlotte Edwards, 37 and of Coed Afon, and Robert Evans, 49 and of John Street, both in Llangollen, as well as 27-year-old Joshua Ford from Woodland Grove in Froncysyllte, were all given the amount at a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing in Mold Crown Court.
The trio earned £1.9m for their role in a conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs into North Wales in 2022 and 2023 – including cannabis into HMP Berwyn – and the Oswestry area.
Oswestry-based Lee Hopgood, 48 and of Sweeney Drive in Morda, will pay back £1.29 from the overall £1,973,755.74 amount applied to all four defendants.
All three were jailed in December 2023 for their crimes with Edwards receiving seven years and eight months after she became the lead of the operation after her partner Adrien Julienne, of HMP Berwyn, was jailed in October 2022.
READ MORE: Police chief welcomes outcome as drug gang members jailed for more than 57 years
Julienne, 26, was ordered to pay £1 after earning £58,051.60.
Evans is currently serving four-and-a-half years for his role in the conspiracy while Ford, who was involved to fund his own habit, was handed a sentence of six years and four months.
Other members of the gang were also handed amounts to pay back in the POCA hearing.
David Oliver, 26 and of Jesse Hartley Way in Liverpool, was given the largest amount to pay back at £119.23 from £1,167.31 while Paul Taylor, 42 and of Wilderley Crescent, Shrewsbury , will pay back £7 of his £2,619.32.
Stephen Chadwick, 35 and of New Fort Way in Bootle, Sefton, will pay back £1 from the £117,145.42 from his ill-gotten gains.
Other news
- Last-ditch bid to save Flintshire leisure and library company fails
- Founder of Wrexham charity who overcame addiction, honoured by National Lottery
- Further road closures set for Wrexham city centre as work nears completion
Two more defendants – Marcus Finchett, 30 and from Rhostyllen in Wrexham and Rebecca Brockhurst, 33 and of Chaucer Road in Oswestry, will have a further hearing on Friday, November 8.
The former will have a one-hour hearing to confirm a figure to repay while Brockhurst – currently serving five years and four months – will be mentioned during the hearing before a further course of action having been ordered to pay £200 earlier this year.
Finchett, during the sentencing period, was described as ‘performing an operational function’ but showed ‘great remorse’ and is serving an eight-year sentence.
Judge Niclas Parry confirmed all amounts to be repaid and will overseeing the POCA hearing on Friday, November 8.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel