NEWS UPDATE – BRIDGEND COUPLE ORDERED TO PAY BACK OVER £100K FOR CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE

The court heard, Nicola Bevan, aged 42, had a benefit figure of £78,293.50 but the available amount which she had in assets was £77,101.69. The judge ordered her to pay back £77,101.69 within three months or face a sentence of 12 months imprisonment.

Her husband was said to have a benefit figure of £123,838.56. The available amount of assets was £32,766.28.

Neil Bevan, aged 49, was ordered to pay the available amount within three months or face nine months imprisonment.

The pair were found guilty of cannabis production following a trial and were sentenced in September of last year.

Nicola Bevan, was given a 24 week sentence suspended for 12 months.

Neil Bevan was also found guilty of abstracting/using electricity without authority, and the supply of Class B drugs, namely cannabis. He was jailed for a total of three years and three months.

The court previously heard, officers executed a drugs warrant at the family’s home where they had discovered a sophisticated growing room. This had been set up in an outbuilding in the garden.

Thirty-four plants and harvested cannabis were seized by officers, along with almost £6,000 in cash. The value of the plants found was estimated at being worth up to £25,500 and the amount of cannabis found ready for onward sale was estimated to have a street value of up to £4,000.

Investigators found more than £127,000 of unexplained cash had been paid into the couple’s account during a five year period.

Officers also found that more than £60,000 in cash had been used to pay for holidays and currency over a number of years. This included a £10,000 holiday to Cancun, Mexico, which was paid in cash.

Detective Inspector Ricky Price said: “This couple used the money they made from the production of cannabis to fund lavish holidays for a number of years.

“Officers recovered a significant amount of cannabis during the search on the family’s home, drugs which would have otherwise made it on to the streets of Pencoed and beyond.

“Our financial investigators are committed to investigating the financial affairs of criminals to determine the extent of their profits. The public can really help us by passing on any information about people who may be making a living off their criminal lifestyle. Generally, these people are clearly seen to spend more than their apparent disposable income.

“Drugs continue to blight our local communities and we want to make it clear that the use and supply of controlled drugs in Bridgend will not be tolerated, and we are actively targeting those involved.”

Anyone with information about the supply of drugs is urged to contact South Wales Police via 101, or alternatively Crimestoppers (anonymously) on 0800 555 111.