Colette Kelly was privately instructed on behalf of our client who was sentenced last Friday to a suspended prison sentence for an offence of money laundering. Our client pleaded guilty to being in possession of criminal property, having been found in possession of £213,000 in cash, when he was stopped in his vehicle by investigators earlier this year. His arrest and charge followed a covert HMRC operation into an Organised Crime Group who had been illegally importing tobacco products into the UK.
In cases of this level and type the imposition of immediate custodial sentence would be expected. The court were persuaded not to do so because of the detailed mitigation package prepared for sentence by Colette, and which was then skillfully presented by Andrew Price, of Drystone Chambers, counsel instructed by us on behalf of our client.