Drug-dealing biker's profits confiscated by the courts

A judge at Durham Crown Court ruled that £3,320 recovered from Malcolm Scott, following his arrest twice last year, should go into central funds.

Scott, 53, who is well-known in the Darlington bikers' fraternity, claimed the money was made from selling motorcycles and parts, as he only receives £72 per week incapacity benefit.

But Judge Maurice Carr said he was not satisfied by Scott's explanation.

He estimated that he had benefited to the amount of £3,738 by his dealing, and so ordered that all £3,320 held by Durham Police should now be confiscated.

Scott, of Westbrook Villas, Darlington, was given a two-month prison sentence suspended for two years and placed on a 12-month supervision order after pleading guilty in court to possession of cannabis with intent to supply last August.

He also admitted three counts of possession of the drug and was fined £200.

He had been arrested on his way to the Railway Tavern in High Northgate, Darlington, on January 11 and February 22 last year.

Scott, who went to the pub each day, was found in possession of wraps of cannabis resin on both occasions.

He admitted, in the first case, that he would have sold some of the drugs if approached by anyone in the pub.

A search of his home recovered bundles of cash totalling £3,320, including £1,105 he claimed to have forgotten about, found in his jeans pocket in a hold-all.

The court heard that police believe the total amount of cannabis recovered from Scott and found at his home had a street value of about £508.

Two pairs of scales, a chopping board and knife, described as paraphernalia of drug dealing, was also found at his home.

Scott admitted having been a cannabis user since his teens, said he takes the drug to partly relieve pain from long-standing knee, hip and shoulder problems.

He claimed not to have attempted to sell drugs since serving a 12-month prison sentence for dealing, in 1997, until the date of his arrest in January last year.