Luxury Obsessed Drug Dealer Busted After Speeding Slip Up Now Has to Pay Back Thousands or Face More Jail Time

A woman who was living the high life with designer handbags and flashy watches has been ordered to pay back over £96,000 after her secret life as a drug dealer was exposed — all because of a chance encounter with police during a reckless drive.

Danielle Stafford, 31, formerly of Hallgate in Cottingham, was already jailed for seven-and-a-half years back in April 2023 after admitting to three charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis, along with one charge of possessing criminal property. Her drug dealing days spanned from October 2017 to May 2020, reported the Mirror.

She appeared via video link from prison at Hull Crown Court as the case was brought back to settle how much she’d made from her criminal dealings. Prosecutor Nadim Bashir told the court that the total criminal benefit had been agreed at £96,263. Stafford now has three months to pay the amount back or face an extra 12 months behind bars, served on top of her current sentence.

Hull Live reported that Stafford, a former University of Hull graduate and qualified engineer, had clearly enjoyed the proceeds of her crimes. She had splurged on a collection of nine luxury watches and three pricey Louis Vuitton handbags. There was even an investment property in the mix.

But it all started to unravel when police happened to spot her silver Audi speeding through Hull on May 12, 2020. The car was seen cutting off another vehicle as it turned onto Hotham Road South and was then driven at speed to a car park at The Odd Bottle pub on Wold Road. Officers approached after getting a strong whiff of cannabis from inside the vehicle.

Stafford immediately tried to downplay it, saying, “I’ll be honest, I’ve got this,” before handing over a small silver wrap with two cannabis buds. But that was just the start. Officers soon discovered a food bag full of cannabis skunk and another one tucked in her pocket.

It didn’t stop there. On the way to the police station, Stafford appeared nervous and kept fidgeting with her joggers. When questioned, she admitted hiding more drugs, saying: “Yes, but it’s not mine and I don’t know what it is. I shoved it down my joggers when you pulled me.” Out came a bag filled with 56 wraps of cocaine, worth around £2,800.

A search of her home in Cottingham uncovered even more. Police found cocaine valued at £13,500, heroin worth £4,100 stashed in a jar, and another £2,500 worth of cannabis stuffed into a banana box. There were also stacks of cash hidden throughout the property, including £26,917 in total, with bundles in safes, boxes, and bags. She denied most of it was hers.

Mr Bashir told the court that Stafford had been an “enthusiastic” cannabis dealer who later moved on to selling cocaine. The operation wasn’t small-time — the drugs found were valued at a street price of £33,600.

What was once a carefully maintained double life built on luxury and deception has now been reduced to a hefty bill and more prison time looming if she doesn’t pay up.

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