A drug-dealing duo who sold unlicensed Viagra and other Class C drugs will have to pay back almost £220k of their ill-gotten gains.

Couple Henry Brown and Judith Purdy were ordered to put their hands in their pockets by a judge on Tuesday (January 16) and pay back £218,069.

The amount comes from the value houses, bank balances, savings and cars which could not have been amassed on their legitimate income. Failing to pay it back could see the pair sent to jail.

Brown, 62, a HGV driver, was first arrested in 2019 after police seized 250,000 Class C pills including Tramadol and unlicensed erectile dysfunction meds.

The Northern Echo: Henry Brown and Judith Purdy.Henry Brown and Judith Purdy. (Image: NORTH EAST REGIONAL ORGANISED CRIME UNIT)

Officers found his partner Purdy, 59, was also involved in the criminal activities and the pair pleaded guilty to a number of charges including conspiracy to supply at Newcastle Crown Court in 2021.

The pair, of Slaley Close, Gateshead were both handed suspended prison sentences, but they were back before the court this week when organised crime officers went after their illicit profits.

And they discovered the full length of the law when they were ordered to pay back the whopping six-figure amount.

Following the Confiscation Order, Detective Inspector Tommy Maughan, said: “Brown and Purdy thought they could outsmart law enforcement. However, they are now facing further consequences of their actions and not only are they both convicted criminals, but they now have also had their assets stripped and bank balances drained.

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“This was a very complex investigation and I want to thank the fantastic teams involved, including the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

"It is through great partnership working that we can continue to make large-scale impacts on drug supply in our region.

“As part of Operation Sentinel, our initiative to tackle serious and organised crime, we will continue the vigorous pursuit of criminals who look to harm our region’s communities through drug crime.”