Drug dealer forced to sell property and vehicle to pay confiscation order

by Jake Fallon. Published Mon 10 Oct 2011 10:49

A Bristol man who ran cannabis factories in his home has been ordered to pay back £32,000 in ill gotten gains.

The order was placed on him at a confiscation hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

The court decided that Graham Chappell, aged 49, from Brislington had assets totalling £117, 423, including property and a vehicle, and was ordered to pay the full £32,000 that he had made from crime.

Police officers had attended a property in Harrow Road, Brislington, on 23 September last year. to execute a search warrant for drugs.

Officers discovered a downstairs room and a cupboard under the stairs had been converted into cannabis factories. In the downstairs room were 15 plants and under the stairs a further 19 small cuttings and 57 small potted plants.

Officers also seized two CS spray canisters, a fully operational stun gun, musket rifle and ammunition which included bullets, powder and lead weights.

There were also various classes of drugs and drug paraphernalia, including scales, a notebook with names and amounts next to them, a quantity of money, self-seal bags and four mobile phones.

The drugs included amphetamine in tablet and powder form and cannabis in a cardbox box. In total 211.6 grams of amphetamine and 42.5 grams of cannabis was seized.

Chappell was convicted of two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon; possessing ammunition without certificate; producing a Class B controlled drug; possession with intent to supply a controlled drug (cannabis resin and amphetamine); possessing a Class C controlled drug with intent to supply; and assaulting a police officer.

He was jailed for three years at Bristol Crown Court.

Dr Kirstie Cogram from Avon and Somerset Police's Financial Investigation Unit said: "We are committed to seizing any assets that criminals have gained as a result of crime.

“It is not acceptable that criminals benefit from illegal activities and we will relentlessly pursue them through the courts to ensure their money is taken. By doing this we show criminals that they will not benefit from crime and hopefully deter others from entering a life of crime."

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