Portsmouth drug gang that made £300,000 ordered to pay back thousands

A DRUGS gang have been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds after a judge ruled their operation was worth nearly £300,000.

The six men flooded the streets of Portsmouth with cocaine, crack and heroin and were sentenced for a combined total of 35 years last May after being caught selling drugs brought down from Manchester in the city between April and September in 2015.

The gang appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on February 10 where Judge Roger Hetherington ordered them to pay back £12,229.52 worth of ill-gotten gains.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Detective Sergeant Rob Cooper, from Hampshire police’s financial investigation unit said the force takes ‘a robust and effective stance against organised criminals who supply drugs.’

‘The six offenders in this case benefited from a vast sum of money, more than £285,000 which they obtained through their criminal actions.

‘By using confiscation powers available to us as part of the Proceeds of Crime Act, we are delight to have secured orders of over £12,000.’

John Burns, 28, was in charge of bringing the drugs into the gang.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He made £129,849.63 from the operation and must now pay back £10,880 or face another month in prison.

Dad-of-one Luke Leighton, 26, ran street dealers in Portsmouth, organising runners to deal drugs out in the city.

Leighton, made £100,000 and was given three months to pay £250 back or face another seven days in prison.

Corey Vaughan, of no fixed address, made £50,000 through the operation and was given 28 days to pay 245.92 of it back or face another seven days in prison.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chae Neville made £3,375.60 of it back and was given 28 days to pay back £202.60 or face another seven days’ jail.

Richard Pascoe, 50, made £635.92 and was ordered to pay it all back within three months or face another seven days in prison.

James Hull made £1,600 and was ordered to pay back £1 in 28 days or face another seven days in prison.

The gang and their sentences were:

n Luke Leighton, 26, of Henderson Road, Southsea – nine years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

n John Burns, 28, of Dingle Close, Radcliffe, Manchester – eight years.

n Chae Neville, 20 of Sultan Road, Buckland – three years and two months.

n Corey Vaughan, 22, of no fixed address – five years and five months

n Richard Pascoe, 50, of Grafton Street, Buckland, 50 – five years.

n James Hull, 24, of Dresden Street, Manchester – four years and six months.