Lancaster man ordered to repay over £32,000 in drugs money

A man from Lancaster, who was previously convicted of supplying class B drugs with intent to supply has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds or face a further 12 months in jail.
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Samuel Peter Worden was previously convicted over supplying cannabis with the intention to supply,

The 29 year-old appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on Thursday, February 19 where he was ordered to repay £32,094.24

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During the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, it was discovered Worden benefited from his criminality by £167,712.13.

Worden, formerly of Wellington Road, Lancaster, has been given six months to pay the order or he will be sent to prison for a period of 12 months.

Worden supplied cannabis to Jamie Armstrong and his victim Luke Hollingsworth, who lost his life after the pair disagreed over drugs and money.

Worden was sentenced on September, 29 to 45 months imprisonment at Carlisle crown by Judge Paul Batty QC, who told Worden he carried a “heavy responsibility”.

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He said: “If you had not been supplying these men with such amounts of cannabis and had you not been operating the credit system, I have no doubt that this murder would not have taken place.”

A Proceeds of Crime Act investigation was launched by specialist officers from Cumbria Constabulary.

Detective Sergeant Siddle of Cumbria Constabulary economic crime unit said: “An in depth financial investigation was carried out alongside officers involved in the criminal investigation, with the aim of establishing the extent of Worden’s criminality and identifying his assets.

“Worden has now been stripped of his assets, if he fails to pay the order he will be sent back to jail.

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“Cumbria Constabulary has a team of financial investigators who work hard to uncover how offenders have financially benefitted from crime so that it can be recovered and put back into the community.

“These court proceedings show that criminals pay for their crimes in more ways than one. As well as serving time in prison, they have to pay a significant financial penalty which can strip them of their homes, cars, and other assets.

“I hope this deters any potential offenders who may be thinking that a criminal lifestyle can be lucrative. This case shows that we don’t stop pursuing criminals when they are behind bars – we make sure that we hit them where it hurts, which is their lifestyles and wallets.”

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