7:09am Monday 6th October 2008
THREE members of a Dorset-based tobacco smuggling gang who evaded more than £236,000 in excise duty have been ordered to pay back just £1.
The gang were found to have laundered more than £172,000 after police found 1.5 tonnes of tobacco and 377,000 cigarettes in storage units in Poole.
In Wilson’s case, her barrister Paul Hester handed over 10 pence, on her behalf, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Despite jointly benefiting to the tune of £53,000, Melanie Wilson, 22, Grant Pearce, 42, and Raymond Hayes, 50, were told to pay the nominal sum or face being jailed.
In Wilson's case, her barrister Paul Hester handed over 10 pence, on her behalf, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Confiscation proceedings against gang leader Peter Robinson, 43, from Good Road, Poole, who is currently serving a four-year prison sentence, were adjourned until January.
Wilson, from Brodie Close, South Shields; Pearce, from Fieldway, Jarrow; and Hayes, 50, from Wilton Gardens, South Bolden Colliery, had to pay only the nominal sum because they had no assets.
The cases of David Munroe, 47, from Bunyan Avenue, South Shields, Joseph Munroe, 20, from Good Road, Poole, Carol Slesser, 47, from Bunyan Avenue, South Shields and Beatrice Pearce, 68, from Bamburgh Avenue, South Shields, were adjourned until a date to be fixed.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Philip Fendley, 59, from Wilson Road, Dorchester, had benefited by £236,946.
He was ordered to pay £1,000 after the court heard that his only asset was a Triumph Stag classic car.
Jacqueline Ridley, 42, from Good Road, Poole, who benefited by £24,000, was ordered to pay £10,000. An £8,863 confiscation order was made against John Moore, 42, from Fieldway, Jarrow, who benefited by £128,734.
Kevin Jackson, 42, from Ede Avenue, South Shields, benefited to the tune of £11,235 and was ordered to pay £2,765 or face jail.
Earlier the court heard how police had found 1.5 tonnes of tobacco in two vans and 377,000 cigarettes in storage units in Poole.
They also discovered how more than £167,000 had been moved around among the gang members in a web of accounts in Dorset, the North East and Guernsey.
Robinson was arrested in September 2006 along with Fendley. During searches of Robinson's house bundles of cash wrapped in cling film were seized, including £87,290 from under his bed.
Jail sentences totalling five years and two months were imposed following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
The remaining seven gang members who pleaded guilty to criminal activity received four-month prison sentences or four or five-month suspended sentences.
Noel, Bournemouth says...
10:00am Mon 6 Oct 08
Nick, Bournemouth says...
10:51am Mon 6 Oct 08
alasdair, windsor/kosovo says...
12:24pm Mon 6 Oct 08
John, Poole says...
1:01pm Mon 6 Oct 08
DawnD, Bournemouth says...
1:15pm Mon 6 Oct 08
alasdair, windsor/kosovo says...
1:59pm Mon 6 Oct 08
DawnD wrote:the brands i mentioned im my post can be bought in europe for as little as 8 euro for 200
Tax is legal theft by the government, smokers pay more tax than on any other product manufactured, what's happening as more people eventually give up mainly due to the cost, and being now treated as second class citizens because we smoke!! Where do you think they get the tax from now?? Wondering why petrol is still high now? Good on them if they can get away with it, why should we have to pay over twice the price of the rest of Europe for the same **** thing!! Why is the Government still allowed to steal money from us in this way and so blatently?
Ferret37, Bos Vegas says...
2:17pm Mon 6 Oct 08
In Absentia, Bournemouth says...
3:51pm Mon 6 Oct 08
chris100, bournemouth says...
4:29pm Mon 6 Oct 08
john moore, jarrow says...
8:41pm Mon 6 Oct 08
dc addict, Bournemouth says...
8:41pm Mon 6 Oct 08
DawnD wrote:So you should be taxed for smoking!I suppose you expect us non smokers to cough up for the immense strain on the NHS for lung and throat cancer, heart disease and all manner of bronchial problems!It's only 15 months ago since the ban. Before that, if I fancied a pint I had to breath in all that filth.Now at least I'm chuckling to see you lot freezing your wotsits off outside. And yes, I am quite prepared to pay the tax on my-approx-10 pints a week, for the harm it might cause.They were lucky. They broke the law and got caught and should have paid a greater price, like 5 years sweeping fag butts off the street.
Tax is legal theft by the government, smokers pay more tax than on any other product manufactured, what's happening as more people eventually give up mainly due to the cost, and being now treated as second class citizens because we smoke!! Where do you think they get the tax from now?? Wondering why petrol is still high now? Good on them if they can get away with it, why should we have to pay over twice the price of the rest of Europe for the same **** thing!! Why is the Government still allowed to steal money from us in this way and so blatently?
john moore, jarrow says...
9:00pm Mon 6 Oct 08
dc addict wrote:Your right, I wish we all got 5 years sweeping fag buts off the street. I got 18 months prison, away from my family all for the sake of cashing a cheque for my brother, whom was found guilty{although alleges his innocence} serves his 4 year sentence and has to put up with the crap the media writes while his own family and friends suffer.
DawnD wrote:So you should be taxed for smoking!I suppose you expect us non smokers to cough up for the immense strain on the NHS for lung and throat cancer, heart disease and all manner of bronchial problems!It's only 15 months ago since the ban. Before that, if I fancied a pint I had to breath in all that filth.Now at least I'm chuckling to see you lot freezing your wotsits off outside. And yes, I am quite prepared to pay the tax on my-approx-10 pints a week, for the harm it might cause.They were lucky. They broke the law and got caught and should have paid a greater price, like 5 years sweeping fag butts off the street.
Tax is legal theft by the government, smokers pay more tax than on any other product manufactured, what's happening as more people eventually give up mainly due to the cost, and being now treated as second class citizens because we smoke!! Where do you think they get the tax from now?? Wondering why petrol is still high now? Good on them if they can get away with it, why should we have to pay over twice the price of the rest of Europe for the same **** thing!! Why is the Government still allowed to steal money from us in this way and so blatently?
wayne hopkins, poole says...
10:51am Tue 7 Oct 08
denis, bournemouth says...
2:57pm Tue 7 Oct 08
DawnD, Bournemouth says...
5:03pm Tue 7 Oct 08
peter woodley, says...
5:42pm Tue 7 Oct 08
wayne hopkins wrote:Exactly,but nobody cares a **** nowadays,when it comes to working and signing the general attitude is "good luck to them,not my business".Most of the public know someone who is fiddling,but turn a blind eye,eg,someone under pension age,but at the same time running a 4x4,regular holidays,some abroad,and living well,when as "dancing dog" says he cant manage it when working,whos right or wrong.
Hang on. 377,000 cigs, one and a half tonnes of tobacco. A warehouse full. Not selling a few cigs for small amount of money is it?? Going to France, getting a few cigs etc, and selling a bit to pay for cost of ferry, is one thing.
This is not only duty fraud, it's undeclared vat and income tax fraud. We all pay too much tax, but there is a difference between paying some, and paying none.
If everyone took this attitude, who would pay for hospitals, schools etc?? Or do those praising also think working and signing on is ok?? It's all fraud.
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Emulated, Bournemouth says...
9:48am Mon 6 Oct 08