findspace

A woman who ran a cannabis and drug dealing operation to fund her extravagant has been ordered to pay back ₤ 100,000.

Danielle Stafford, 31, from Hallgate, Cottingham, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in April 2023 after pleading guilty to three offenses.

Before Hull Crown Court, she admitted to being concerned in supplying heroin, fracture cocaine and marijuana, and another of possessing money as criminal residential or commercial property on dates covering October 2017 and May 2020.

The previous University of Hull graduate made so much money from offering drugs that she sprinkled out on 9 luxury watches, 3 Louis Vuitton bags and even a second house.

The case resurfaced today as the court determined how much money Stafford made from criminal activities - and how much she would be bought to pay back.

With Stafford going to the hearing by means of a video link from jail, district attorney Nadim Bashir validated a criminal benefit figure had been agreed at ₤ 96,263.

She has been bought to pay this amount within 3 months or face another year of jail time, to be served consecutively.

During the initial trial, it was exposed that Stafford was captured by pure possibility when she was picked up speeding and officers might smell marijuana originating from her silver Audi on May 12, 2020.

Danielle Stafford (visualized) was imprisoned for seven-and-a-half years in April 2023 after pleading guilty to three offenses

The 31-year-old from Hallgate, Cottingham, confessed to being concerned in providing heroin, fracture drug and cannabis, and another of having money as criminal residential or commercial property

When questioned about the smell, Stafford 'instantly lied', telling cops: 'I'll be truthful, I have actually got this' and turned over a small silver wrap including 2 buds of marijuana skunk.

Police went onto discover more drugs on her consisting of 2 food bags containing cannabis skunk.

En route to the police headquarters, Stafford was seen 'fidgeting' with her jogging bottoms and she was asked if she had anymore drugs hidden.

She said: 'Yes, but it's not mine and I do not understand what it is. I shoved it down my joggers when you pulled me.'

Stafford took out a bag including drug. There were 56 wraps of crack cocaine, valued at ₤ 2,800.

An iPhone was also found with drug messages on it.

'From the minute of seizure of the drugs to the arrival in the cops station suite, the mobile iPhone was constantly calling and getting messages from different people,' stated Mr Bashir. 'Some 30 phone calls were gotten and 10 to 20 text messages.'

After requiring entry, officers discovered ₤ 26,917 money stowed away around her three-bedroom home in Cottingham and drugs with a street value of ₤ 33,600.

Stafford has been purchased to pay ₤ 96,263 within three months or face another year of jail time, to be served consecutively

Police later on discovered ₤ 26,917 money stashed around her home and drugs with a street worth of ₤ 33,600

Woman drugs kingpin, 29, who enjoyed life of high-end with Louis Vuitton handbags and holidays was captured when police pulled over her Audi - and discovered ₤ 60,000 stash of cash and drugs

She also had high-end items including 9 watches and 3 pricey Louis Vuitton handbags, Hull Crown Court heard.

A glass jar with plastic drugs bags inside it was discovered hidden behind a bag of coal bricks in the rear garden.

There, officers discovered 270 covers of fracture drug, valued at ₤ 13,500, and 205 covers of heroin, valued at ₤ 4,100, in the jar. Stafford rejected understanding of them.

In the living-room, organic marijuana, valued at ₤ 2,500, was found in an open, empty banana box on a table. She rejected that it came from her.

Two glass containers were found to contain marijuana valued at ₤ 370. Police also found weighing scales, a large amount of cash and more food bags. She confessed that this belonged to her.

In Stafford's bed room, herbal cannabis and Ecstasy tablets were discovered together with heaps of money Wads of cash.

More money, totalling ₤ 7,580, was found in a safe but she rejected that it was hers.

Three Louis Vuitton purses and 9 watches were uncovered. She admitted that these were hers but pretended the designer products were phony or had actually merely been offered to her by relative from their vacations to places like Turkey and Spain.

A phone constantly sounded with 30 calls or pinged with up to 20 drug messages after Stafford was arrested

In an upstairs box space, cash packages of ₤ 9,100, ₤ 1,668, ₤ 550, ₤ 700, ₤ 1,110, ₤ 165, ₤ 190 and ₤ 91 were discovered.

Examination of Stafford's checking account exposed a string of luxury vacations had been taken.

Mr Bashir said this was 'evidence of an additional stream of money earnings' apart from her regular monthly salaries from working for Swift Group.

Stafford had actually purchased her Cottingham home in March 2016 for ₤ 124,999 with a mortgage and a residential or commercial property in Hotham Road South in July 2018 without a mortgage for ₤ 68,500 in equivalent shares with her auntie.

Stafford paid the 'lion's share' of ₤ 64,927 from moneying in premium bonds and she informed authorities that she purchased it to rent out.

'Even with rental or accommodations allowances, neither residential or commercial property was able to provide any significant income source to justify the cash found in your house,' stated Mr Bashir.

During cops interview, Stafford claimed that a Liverpudlian guy had actually been remaining with her on and off and that he had actually telephoned her to say that he had actually left something at her address.

When she got home, there was a large amount of cannabis and, when he asked her to take it to him, she said that she did not feel comfortable doing so.

Hull Crown Court heard that Stafford had a long-running 'extra cash income stream'

She declared that he asked her to bring a bag of drugs and, in a panic, she grabbed it and was driving to meet him when she was visited authorities.

Stafford denied that she or the lad were dealing drugs but later admitted that she would drive to Liverpool and bring him back to Hull.

She denied understanding of any of the big quantities of cash discovered around her home, claiming that she took care of it for the male, including keeping it for him in her own bedroom - apart from ₤ 2,350 which belonged to her.

'She said that the cash in the safe had absolutely nothing to do with her and all the other cash came from the lad,' said Mr Bashir.

The district attorney told the court that Stafford was an 'enthusiastic' cannabis dealer and progressed to ending up being a Class A drug dealership.

'She had actually somehow managed to prevent her drug dealing activities coming to the attention of the authorities for a significant amount of time,' stated Mr Bashir.

'The natural result of this was that she was able to collect a considerable amount of wealth, consisting of purchasing a financial investment residential or commercial property, a house to lease. Cash found in her home address totaled up to ₤ 26,917.

'The contents of her home address in Hallgate, Cottingham, is strong evidence of the nature of her drugs business. The quantity, type and value of drugs discovered at her home were significant. The drugs alone were street valued at ₤ 33,600. This is continual drug dealing.'

She claimed that many of the costly products that were found were not designer however were phony or had merely been provided to her by relative from their holidays

During the 2023 hearing, Saleema Mahmood, mitigating, stated that Stafford was dealing marijuana however claimed that her involvement in Class A dealing came about due to her association with a person from Liverpool.

She argued that evidence of any Class A dealing was incredibly restricted and originated from two sets of messages.

The legal representative claimed there was an aspect of naivety and exploitation in Stafford's participation and she had little influence on those above her in the chain.
cnn.com
Stafford likewise stated that her family was in the practice of keeping large amounts of money at home, instead of in a bank, which she was delegated to care for it for others as she was seen as being a 'responsible' individual who might be 'trusted' with money.

The court were shown referrals from previous employers and told that Stafford had tried to get work and had actually offered.