Region’s cr iminals to pa y bac k £5m

A MURDERER, drug dealers and fraudsters are among those forced to repaycash and belongings, as specialist financial investigators continue to target the wealth of convicted criminals

Offenders across eastern England have been forced to repay over £5 million since April 2022, following work by the Eastern Region Special Operation Unit Financial Investigation Team

Highlights from across the region include:

Bedfordshire - Assets totalling £208,335 were confiscated from Gary Pickersgill, following his conviction for a £1.9 million theft of Chinese Jade and Ivory from an elderly woman in Bedford He was previously jailed for eight years in September 2021 Cambridgeshire – Following conviction for conspiracy to burgle, possession of a firearm and handling stolen property, Simon Oakley was ordered to repay more than £183,000 to his burglary victims Hertfordshire – Ian Stewart, who was jailed for life in February 2022 for the murder of his wife Diane, was found to have benefitted £398,761 from his crime It was established he had an available amount of £185,173 and was ordered to pay this in compensation to the victim’s family

Norfolk – Following an investigation into commercial cannabis cultivation, two brothers – Adam and Andrew Gallagher - were convicted of money laundering They were found to have made £200,000 through their criminal activities, which they were subsequently ordered to repay.The assets included property, Rolex watches, vehicles, and cash

Suffolk – Miroslav Pesko ran an organised crime group which stole Mercedes Sprinter vans throughout East Anglia, London, and the Home Counties He was convicted for conspiracy to steal and was found to have assets in Russia worth over £211,000.

Where offenders do not pay back the money required as part of a Proceeds of Crime Act court order, they face extended periods in jail and are still required to pay back the full amount.