Dealer made £158,000 selling drugs

12:15pm Friday 9th May 2008

PROFITS being made by one of Swindon's biggest drug dealers have been revealed.

Mark Ambrose made more than £158,000 from selling cocaine, cannabis and other drugs, Swindon Crown Court was told yesterday.

But, based on how much money he had already spent, he could only be ordered to return £10,676.65, the court was told.

Swindon police's drug team made its biggest ever seizure when it found more than £40,000 worth of cocaine at Ambrose's home in Crombey Street.

Officers stumbled across more than a kilo of cocaine, as well as hundreds of ecstasy tablets, cannabis and LSD when they were called to a domestic disturbance at the house last November.

Ambrose admitted two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and one count of possessing class C drugs with intent to supply and was sentenced to five years behind bars last month.

Judge Douglas Field heard the application for confiscation of the money Ambrose made yesterday and ordered him to pay it within three months, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, said: "The confiscation application is made by the Crown against conviction for three drug trafficking offences.

"The defence and Crown are in agreement over the figures.

"With the benefit of information on his lifestyle he made £158,084. The available funds are £10,676.65."

When he was arrested Ambrose told police he had been dealing drugs since he was 13 years old.

Investigating officer PC Stalder said: "While he was dealing, Mark Ambrose would have been a major player in recreational drugs in Swindon.

"He has certainly been concerned with the supply of a considerable amount of recreational drugs in Swindon for some time.

"And his arrest and conviction has stopped thousands of pounds worth of drugs from reaching the streets."