Bonnybridge drug trafficker hands over nearly £150k as proceeds of his criminal ways

Christopher Bourke, 26, turned up at a house in Denny where police were conducting a search and claimed he had no knowledge of cash found in the property.

Quantities of money were found at the house in knotted freezer bags and forensic analysis found DNA from Bourke on the knots.

Bourke, a contractor, of Ashley Street, Bonnybridge, was jailed for two years after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine between January 17 and February 17 in 2021.

The Crown raised an action to seize crime profits from Bourke and a judge at the High Court in Edinburgh was today told a settlement was reached in the case.

Advocate depute Dan Byrne KC told judge Alison Stirling that it was agreed that Bourke's benefit from criminal conduct was £147,495.

The prosecutor said the available sum for confiscation was also £147,495 and the judge made a confiscation order for that figure.

A co-accused Thomas Clark, 37, of Cross Street, Bainsford, also settled a confiscation action brought against him by agreeing to hand over £8200. He was given a community payback order.

A third man, Shaun McCormack, 28, who was also jailed for two years for his role in the drugs operation, renounced any interest in money seized by the police.

Draughtsman McCormack, of Foxdale Place, Bonnybridge, earlier admitted being concerned in the cocaine between October 1 in 2020 and February 17 the following year.

McCormack was detained by police as he went to a money handover and later accepted he was "essentially acting as a debt collector for drug dealers".

He drove a BMW to a car park at a Farmfoods store, in Stenhousemuir, where he parked up before police moved in.

Officers later conducted a search at his then address at a flat in Little Denny Road, Denny, and found carrier bags containing more than £144,000 in cash in a bedroom. Further sums, amounting to £2200, were also recovered.

Advocate depute Margaret Barron earlier told the High Court that he said he was holding the money for someone else and that it was funds collected from drug users.

The prosecutor said: "He confirmed that he collected the money, holding onto it before it was handed to the supplier."

"He denied being hands on with the supply of controlled drugs, however accepted that he was essentially acting as a debt collector for drug dealers," she said.

Bourke turned up at the property while police were conducting a search and was found to have £230 in cash on him.

Clark was detained by police after he was seen approaching the BMW at the car park in Stenhousemuir and was found to have £8200 in his possession and claimed he was doing someone "a favour".

The court heard that McCormack had expected someone to come to his car to deliver money to him before police swooped. Clark was convicted of possessing criminal property.