A CONVICTED? drug dealer is being forced to sell his Okehampton home to repay more than £100,000 which he made out of his illegal trade.

Laurence Lodge profited by more than £150,000 by selling cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis from his home in North Devon but will be left penniless after the seizure of all his assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The 58-year-old was jailed for four and a half years in April 2015 and has been told he will serve another 18 months unless he repays £117,605. Lodge’s principle asset is the equity in the house at St John’s Road, Okehampton, where he was caught selling a range of six different drugs in February 2014.

Recorder Mr Philip Mott, QC, certified that Lodge’s benefit from crime was £152,171.32 but his available assets were only worth £117,605.

Mr David Bowen, prosecuting, said the figures had been agreed with the defence and the normal time allowed for the repayment of the money was three months.

Mr James Taghdissian, defending, said Lodge was unlikely to be able to meet this deadline and may have to ask for more time to pay. He said: ‘The available amount can only be released through the sale of his property. He is going through this progress but everybody knows that it can take some time.’

Lodge, who is still serving his sentence, was not brought to Exeter Crown Court for the Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

In the original case, heard last year, he admitted drug dealing but said he did so to pay for his own cocaine habit after his legitimate business failed. He was found with almost £70,000 worth of drugs and £32,000 in cash when police raided his home.

He claimed he was warehousing 217 grams of cocaine, 3,349 ecstasy tablets, 1.74 kg of cannabis resin and smaller amounts of other drugs for a mystery drug baron called Mr A.

Police found two sets of scales and plastic bags which showed he had been weighing and dividing up the drugs ready for sale. The money had been counted out and was in bundles.