Wolverhampton tanning studio boss 'was Mr Big of the drugs world'

Darren Bradley splashed out £128,000 on his dream car, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Bradley, who ran Elite Tanning and Beauty Ltd in High Street, Bilston, owned a further four studios across the Black Country and used them as a cover for his criminal enterprise Birmingham Crown Court heard yesterday.

Bradley revealed in the case he was making a profit of £12,000 per month on his tanning shops and paid just £9,000 a year in tax on his earnings.

The 44-year-old claimed that his studios had a turnover of between £2.5 million and £3 million over 10 years and that this came from all of 'his and his wife's hard work'.

He was jailed in 2011 for fraud and conspiracy to supply cannabis. The Bilston businessman was in the dock again battling to keep hold of more than £600,000 of assets being sought by West Midlands Police in a Proceeds of Crime hearing.

Mr Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, while questioning Bradley said: "You're a person that enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. How many people go around driving a Bentley?" Bradley replied: "I wouldn't say it was a lavish lifestyle I'd say that I lived comfortably."

Mr Wallace continued: "You were Mr Big driving around in your Bentley. You had a firearm in case anyone got in your way. You were able to turn over huge sums of money and you did all this through the sale of cannabis.

Bradley refuted the claims saying: "Me and my wife worked hard. I'm not a drug dealer and I don't have anything to do with drugs – I'm against drugs." He also denied selling counterfeit Vivian Westwood handbags.

The hearing began on Monday and the case has been outlined against Bradley formerly of Penn Road, Gospel End. The prosecution says he made £2,564,318 through crime. Earlier this year, Bradley had 10 weeks added to an eight-year jail term given to him in 2011 after he was unmasked as an armed cannabis dealer.

The case continues.