‘cocaine cash funded family’s lavish lifestyle’

A FAMILY have gone on trial accused of living a ‘high life’ of fivestar travel and luxury cars using ‘dirty money’ from the sale of cocaine.

Married couple Thomas and Coleen Campbell, both 33, are said to have spent ‘extravagantly’ using the proceeds of criminality, holidaying in Cancun and purchasing BMWs, Audis and Mercedes cars.

Thomas Campbell’s mother Lynn Campbell, 59, and Coleen Campbell’s mother Theresa Bowden, also 59, are also in the dock, also accused of money laundering between 2009 and 2016.

Prosecutors say the family, from Clayton, east Manchester, spent about £200,000 during that period, on holidays, cars and renovating a house.

They allege this money was not acquired legitimately, with Coleen Campbell being employed at Matalan and receiving working tax credits during that period, and Thomas Campbell working as a personal trainer.

The couple would have ‘earned a few thousand pounds a year’ from those jobs, prosecutors say.

The defendants are expected to deny the cash was generated through the proceeds of crime, and that if it was they did not know it was ‘dirty money.’

A jury at Manchester Crown Court was told by prosecutor Henry Blackshaw that the ‘dirty money’ came from their family connections and close associates. They were told Mr Campbell’s brother Lee Campbell and his cousin Stephen Campbell have both been convicted of possession with intent to supply cocaine. The prosecution also allege that an apartment in Clayton, where Stephen Campbell lived and for which Lynn Campbell paid more than £4,000 for six months rent up front, was used as a drugs stash house. An associate, Kieran O’Brien, has also been convicted of possession with intent to supply after being caught in Cheetham Hill with cocaine worth between £600,000 and £1.3m.

The court heard that in December 2013 the family travelled in ‘premium seats’ to Cancun in Mexico for a 10-day family holiday, staying at a five-star hotel.

During the holiday, which cost £10,000 and was paid for in cash, the family were also said to have chartered a motor boat, the jury heard.

Other holidays to Sharm el-Sheikh and a resort in Bulgaria were also purchased.

Thomas and Coleen Campbell, of Bamford Street, Clayton, also bought a ‘series of expensive German motor cars,’ the prosecution said.

Using finance agreements, Mr Campbell bought a black 6.3 litre Mercedes AMG for £42,000, which also had a personalised number plate. Mrs Campbell purchased a black BMW X5, also with a personalised number plate, which was bought for £16,500.

Mr Blackshaw said the full records of the cars they purchased are not available, but said they frequently ‘traded up’ their vehicles to more expensive cars before the end of the finance agreement.

A further £60,000 was spent building an extension at Ms Bowden’s former house in Bamford Street, Clayton, which Mr and Mrs Campbell then moved into, prosecutors said. She moved into another house on the same street, the court heard.

Coleen and Thomas Campbell, and Theresa Bowden, all of Bamford Street, Clayton, and Lynn Campbell, of Schofield Street, Clayton, all deny money laundering.

Proceeding

During the holiday, which cost £10,000 and was paid for in cash, the family were said to have chartered a motor boat