West Berkshire man ordered to pay back drugs money

Jamie Nicola, aged 44, of Corwen Road, Tilehurst, will have to pay another £1,300 towards an order made in 2008.
He had been convicted in March 2008 of possession with intent to supply amphetamine and served a period of imprisonment.
As a result a Proceeds of Crime Act Confiscation Order was made in October 2008 at Reading Crown Court (pictured) where he was determined to have benefited from his criminal activities over the previous six years in the sum of just under £99,300. At that time he was able to pay back only £1,510 which had been seized from him in cash upon arrest.
Nicola was arrested again in October 2008 resulting in him pleading guilty to possession of amphetamine in February 2010. Another £1,080 in cash was seized on this occasion which was also applied to his outstanding Confiscation Order.
During two subsequent arrests in April and July of last year, police seized another £955 in cash and two coin collections among his other property which were later valued at £345. These arrests also resulted in the defendant pleading guilty in June this year to possession of amphetamine.
At Reading Crown Court on Friday (October 12), Nicola claimed that £600 of the cash was not his and had been lent to him. However, he was ordered to pay £1,300 within six weeks or face a further period of imprisonment.
The cash is held by Thames Valley Police so will automatically be paid over to the Court Service.
Financial investigator for the Thames Valley Police, Jennifer Bailey said: “Although a defendant may not have suffered paying back any significant sum at the time the Confiscation Order was made, the value of any future assets identified by the police, in whatever circumstances, will be taken from the defendant until such time as the order is fully satisfied.”