Garden centre owner jailed for drugs and money laundering
Published: 6 March 2017 - Jenny Wonnacott
The owner of Ravenshead Plant Centre near Nottingham has been jailed for eight years following an investigation into money laundering and the production of drugs at the business.
The owner of Ravenshead Plant Centre (pictured) has been jailed after being found guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to produce cannabis at the garden centre
Nottinghamshire Police launched the investigation back in 2013, finding a total of 70 cannabis plant stumps, 22 juvenile cannabis plants and cannabis seeds at the site. The officers also uncovered a network of money laundering after finding a large amount of cash.
Owner Dale Richmond, 57, was found guilty of conspiracy to produce cannabis as well as six counts of money laundering worth more than £150,000 at Nottingham Crown Court. His stepson Warren Richmond and Kevin Martin pleaded guilty to producing cannabis at the start of the trial back in 2015 and were given suspended sentences. John William Palfreyman and Neil Rose were also found guilty of conspiracy to produce cannabis.
Though the trial was launched in the summer of 2015, it could not be reported on until now because of the risk of prejudicing the second trial – concerning the money laundering – which concluded last week.
Dale Richmond was sentenced to a further one and a half years after being found guilty of two counts of money laundering, to run consecutively with his previous sentence. The court also heard, during the trial, how Mr Richmond had been a rogue builder, having received a £70,000 pay out for work judged to be worth between £1,691 and £2,029.