A JAILED dealer in high-strength cannabis commodities has been ordered to pay £11,135 as proceeds of crime.

Kris Snowdon was wearing a Rolex watch when police stopped the high-valued car he was driving, containing £6,885 in cash, in 2018.

Durham Crown Court was told a seized phone revealed, “clear active involvement”, in the sale of cannabis, including customers who had built up a large amount of debt, and were being, “chased for payment”.

The 33-year-old defendant, formerly of Langley Park, received a 19-month prison sentence at Durham Crown Court, in June, after admitting possessing a class B drug with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, the seized money and watch.

Snowdon also admitted a bail offence by failing to appear at a previous hearing.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the defendant gave a positive drugs test after being pulled over while at the wheel of an Audi Q8, on the A691 near Langley Park, at 6pm on May 18, 2018.

The money was found in a bag beneath the driver’s seat and from a jacket on the back seat, and a search was then made at his home at the time, in King’s Avenue, Langley Park, County Durham.

Herbal cannabis and a high-strength concentrated form of the drug known as, ‘Shatter’, was recovered from the property, along with cannabis ‘butter’, for users who prefer not to smoke the drug.

Stickers were found promoting the trade conducted by Snowdon, using a ‘Geordie Farms’ logo, while references were found to a group known as ‘North-East Straw Dogs’.

The hearing was told Snowdon was living at Valley Drive, in Swalwell, Gateshead, at the time of his arrest on a bench warrant in May last year, having failed to appear at court in Durham in February 2020.

Tony Hawkes, for Snowdon, told the court it was his “first foray” into dealing at that level having been a user.

He said the defendant Snowdon took cannabis in different forms from his teens onwards, but “fell into the wrong company” and ran up his own debt, so turned to dealing to help repay the outstanding money..

The defendant was brought back to court for his crime proceeds hearing this week, when it was agreed his benefit from dealing has £56,558, but the amount available to confiscate from him is £11,135.

Judge Ray Singh ordered confiscation in that sum, giving Snowdon three-months to pay or risk 12-months in prison, in default.