Woman who helped launder money for Black Country drug lord John Anslow told to pay up

Jacqueline Hughes had benefited to the tune of £30,000 from the racket , a Proceeds of Crime hearing was told.

But the realisable assets of the 42-year-old only amounted to £4,449, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The hearing was told that Hughes worked for a firm called Molineux Boilers that seemed to have paid Anslow £4,597 a month after tax and other stoppages.

Mr Andrew Wallace told the court: "He appeared to be an employee of the company but the worksheets do not show him doing any work."

Anslow is one of the most notorious criminals in the West Midlands and flaunted his cash with a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, global holidays and sponsorship of Wolves games.

Mother of two Hughes from Mayhurst Close, Tipton was given a 12-month prison term suspended for two years with £2,000 costs and 150 hours' unpaid work in June last year.

She had pleading guilty to facilitating the acquisition, use or control of criminal property in the shape of the BMW X6 and laundering cash from crime to help with the purchase of another car between March and September 2010.

On that occasion Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Hughes registered a £46,000 BMW X6 used by Anslow in her name between September 2009 and October 2010 and put £30,000 laundered drug money towards the purchase of another Audi for him.

Judge Nicholas Webb observed: "Molineux Boilers seems to have been used as a conduit to allow him to appear respectable."

Mr Matthew Hardyman, defending, maintained: "She thought she was doing a favour to a friend of the family but latterly her suspicions were aroused. However, she turned a blind eye because at the same time, she was caring for a young child and a terminally ill relative. There was no financial or direct benefit to her whatsoever."

Judge Webb has now made a confiscation order in the sum of £4449 and given Hughes six month to pay, otherwise she faces three months behind bars.

Anslow aged 33 from Tipton is currently serving a total of 29 years six months for drug dealing and plotting his escape from a prison van. He was later traced and arrested in Northern Cyprus.