A drug dealer who made almost a quarter of a million pounds from his crimes has been ordered to pay back just £4,600.
Louis Sullivan, 33, was jailed for a total of four years in August last year after admitting his involvement in a network supplying cocaine in the Great Yarmouth area.
He was back in Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday (April 27) for the conclusion of a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing, where some of his ill-gotten gains were recovered.
The court heard from Andrew Thompson, prosecuting, that the 'benefit figure' - the amount which Sullivan is said to have made from his criminal activity - was £238,803.65.
However, his available assets - the amount which can be paid back - were just £4,667.51.
Judge Katharine Moore ordered that Sullivan, formerly of Seafields Drive, Hopton, pay back that amount within 28 days or face an extra 10 weeks imprisonment.
Sullivan was jailed last year after admitting three counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug.
He had also admitted one count of possessing criminal property and one count of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs at an earlier hearing.
The police investigation into his drug dealing network began after officers stopped a grey Seat car on Wadham Road in Gorleston in November 2020.
Sullivan was a front seat passenger and officers found him in possession of six wraps of cocaine.
Police then searched an address in Hopton-on-Sea connected to Sullivan, where they found a safe containing a number of items, including a large amount of money and a mobile phone.
When officers arrived, another member of the gang fled the scene, jumping over a fence into a neighbouring property and 'garden hopping' in an effort to escape officers.
He was seen disposing of a pork scratchings bag containing drugs in a garden and was eventually tracked down by a police dog hiding in a field.
Last August, James Spittles, then 38 and of no fixed address, and Thomas Baxter, then 31 and of no fixed address, were jailed for two and a half years and three years respectively after admitting their parts in the drugs conspiracy.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here