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Former drugs boss unable to repay £1.73m because criminal record “hampers” employment chances (30 April 2015)

Date: 30/04/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Former drugs boss unable to repay £1.73m because criminal record “hampers” employment chances

The form boss of a London drugs gang who owes more than £1.7 million under a Confiscation Order has told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that he is unable to repay the money because he is not in regular work and because of his current household bills.

The Evening Standard newspaper reports that 47-year-old Nicholas Templar was jailed for 15 years in 2000 for being the leader of a criminal gang dealing cocaine and Ecstasy.

He was arrested in 1999 in connection with a nightclub drug dealing network.

Templar was caught by police for his drug dealing activities, after they used a video camera to film his home in New Cross, southeast London.

He was convicted at Kingston Crown Court for conspiracy to supply drugs, along with 13 members of his gang who were jailed for a total of 25 years.

He was also ordered to repay £1m under the Proceeds of Crime Act but has so far only repaid £12,000 and now owes £1.73m. The debt is increasing by £216 per day because of interest.

Mr Templar told the court that he was unable to increase the £10 a week repayments he is currently making because of his work circumstances and household expenses, including a subscription to the Sky Sports channel for himself and his partner.

Mr Templar told the court that, although his partner had recently found a new job, he was unaware of her salary. Judge Margot Coleman commented, however, that it would be usual to enquire about salary when congratulating a partner on a new job.

Templar told the court that having a criminal record was hampering his own efforts at finding work:

“When you Google my name, it all comes up,” he said in court.

He told the court he was only doing agency work and was unable to repay more than £80 per month because his income was “erratic”.

Judge Coleman warned him, however, that because he was living with his partner, both their incomes would be taken into account to assess how much he would have to repay every month under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The hearing was adjourned until June, when a decision will be made about Templar’s repayments.

He has already served a second default prison sentence for non-payment of his debts under the Confiscation Order issued by the court to recoup the money he made from drug dealing offences.

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