A COURT heard today (Friday, 16 April) how a Maldon High Street business was used as a 'front' for money laundering in connection with a three-year cocaine supply conspiracy largely based in and around the town.

It was the second day of sentencing proceedings at Chelmsford Crown Court, where Judge Simon Mayo QC has been hearing a summary of the offences of each of five co-defendants and mitigation from defence lawyers in the case of each one.

All five defendants have pleaded guilty to a range of offences, with the man described as running the illicit business, Abdul Hamid, 34, now of HMP Chelmsford and formerly of Sassoon Way, Maldon, facing sentencing for Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine, Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property, charges in connection with the use of an electronic device while in prison and driving offences. He was director of the Bengal Tiger restaurant in The Square, Heybridge.

Businesswoman Danielle Stevenson-Roberts, 34, of Church Street, Goldhanger, is also facing sentence for Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine and Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property. She was director of Sunkissed tanning salon in High Street, Maldon, and of Balti Bhujon restaurant in Mill Road.

Crown prosecutor Wayner Cleaver told the court that the Sunkissed salon had been a "front business" for money laundering for the drugs operation.

He added: "This defendant was in a relationship with Mr Hamid and she was the second in command.

"She was undoubtedly motivated by significant financial advantage."

Mr Cleaver told how following the arrest and incarceration of Hamid in August 2019, Stevenson-Roberts took on a role that helped allow "the Tariq line" (the drugs line at the centre of the case) to continue. She received directions from Hamid while he was in prison.

Mr Cleaver said: "What she was doing was at his behest, but a very important role in allowing the line to continue."

Judge Mayo asked: "So she wasn't so much the general as wearing the general's hat?"

Mr Cleaver agreed. He went on to describe Stevenson-Roberts' role in reactivating the line within six hours of it being shut down following Hamid's incarceration.

In August 2019, prior to this, she was stopped with Hamid at Stansted Airport as they prepared to travel to Tenerife. The pair had £29,000 in cash in their hand luggage.

It emerged in the court hearing that Stevenson-Roberts had more than 708,000 Euros in a Spanish bank account. The couple had exported cash from the drugs operation both through bank accounts and in cash taken abroad, the court heard, with property and land in Tenerife purchased with the funds. Financial investigations are still ongoing.

Speaking in mitigation, her defence argued that the money laundering "lacked sophistication". They said there was a pattern of recorded takings at Sunkissed showing small amounts from customers of the salon alongside much larger amounts, which could have been of obvious suspicion to banks.

It was also claimed by the defence that there was "a degree of abuse and control in the relationship" between Hamid and Stevenson-Roberts. The couple had been together for 12 years at the start of the three-year period in 2017 and have now split, the court heard.

The role of Murshed Uddin, 24, of Mundon Road, Maldon, was also examined in court today. Uddin has pleaded guilty to charges of Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine and Conspiracy to Conceal Criminal Property.

The court was told that Uddin, who was described as of previous good character and with GSCEs and A-levels, had become involved in the conspiracy to supply cocaine from the start of the three years.

Mr Cleaver said: "Mr Uddin was one of the first to be recruited by Mr Hamid. He was paid in cash for his role and was also given the use of a Mercedes that was one of a fleet of cars Hamid used in the operation."

The prosecutor outlined how Uddin's role changed once Hamid was incarcerated, as he moved from being a "runner" to working to keep the drugs supply line going under the direction of Hamid.

Uddin was charged in February 2020 and while on remand, shared a prison cell with Hamid for a time. The court heard that during that time, in August 2020, the cell was searched by prison officers who found a prison fork that had been re-shaped to work as a screwdriver. The tool was found to open a sink panel, where officers discovered a sock containing two mobile phones. The charges relating to electronic devices faced by Hamid are related to this.

Uddin's defence said in mitigation: "He is glad in one way that he has gone to prison as it has been a wake-up call for him. I ask the court to be as lenient as they can be."

The defence also claimed that records of text messages showed that Hamid was controlling of Uddin, indicating that he wasn't happy with Uddin's work. The potential impact of Uddin's sentence on his family was also mentioned in court.

Judge Mayo told the court that the issues are so complex in this case that he will return to sentencing the above three defendants and a fourth on Monday. The fourth is Lloyd Bridge, currently in prison, who has also pleaded guilty Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine and was primarily a driver. It was mentioned in court that there were an estimated 10 to 14 drivers.

However, the Judge did pass sentence this afternoon on the fifth defendant, Andrew J Lay, 38, of Victoria Road in Maldon, who was described in court as having been a "drugs runner" and who had pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine. He was said to be of previous good character.

Judge Mayo told Lay: "You performed a limited role under the direction of other people.

"The prosecution feel that the court might regard your offending as closer to street dealing. I'm prepared to accept that, but I cannot simply ignore that it was part of a wider conspiracy."

Sentencing Lay to two years in prison, suspended for two years, as well as 200 hours of unpaid work and imposing a three-month tagged curfew between the hours of 10pm and 6am on him, plus an obligation to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities, Judge Mayo said: "I'm satisfied that there is a reasonable opportunity of your rehabilitation and that this was out of character for you – and that you're unlikely to make the same mistake again.

"This is a golden opportunity. Don't waste it."