A mum who played a key role in a £2million drug trafficking ring has been ordered to pay back just £1.
Earlier this year, gang members appeared before the courts after operating a major drugs supply between North Wales and Merseyside. The Wrexham-based drug gang was blown apart after officers busted several doors and discovered the true scale of the operation.
One gang member, Julie Prile, of Coed Efa in New Broughton, had been sentenced to five years imprisonment for the shipping of cash between Wrexham, Liverpool and Northwich in Cheshire. The 44-year-old's phone had revealed she had been involved in the conspiracy from the start.
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At the previous hearing, she had pleaded with the court that she would miss the birth of her first grandchild if she was to be jailed, North Wales Live reports. But the 45-year-old was back before a judge at Mold Crown Court this month where a figure of how much money she earned for her criminal deeds was agreed.
Ember-Jade Wong, prosecuting, said during the conspiracy, which ran from March 2020 to March 2021, Prile would have banked around £3,480. The overall scale of the business was said to be "incalculable", but is estimated to be around £2million from start to finish.
At her sentencing back in May, Prile was said to have been "foolish" to take her case to a trial "despite overwhelming evidence against her". This included her "very close contact" being documented with the main gang leaders.
On Friday, October 21, she was back in court for a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing, where the judge accepted she had no cash available.
The court heard Prile would only be able to pay back an administrative sum. This was set at just a pound and she was given six months to make a payment to the courts.
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