Threat of more jail time makes ‘poor’ ex-crime boss pay up

ONE of London’s most notorious former crime bosses has paid back hundreds of thousands of pounds in ill-gotten gains, after being warned he would go back to prison if he failed to pay.

Terry Adams was hit with the bill under a confiscation order, after he was convicted of money-laundering in 2007. But the 63-year-old claimed he was too poor to pay, despite the courts being told he lived a lavish lifestyle.

The former gangster also argued that it would be against his human rights if he were forced to pay back the debt – which had risen to more than £1 million with interest. But despite claiming he had no money left, Adams came up with the full amount after being warned he faced another two and a half years in jail if he did not pay up.

Nick Price, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The CPS is determined to ensure that crime doesn’t pay and that criminals including Adams cannot avoid paying back what they owe. Our prosecutors and caseworkers have worked tirelessly to secure assets from Adams who sought to benefit from his crimes and went to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying.”

Adams was jailed for seven years in 2007 and ordered to pay back £750,000. He sold his north London home, but refused to meet the full amount, paying back just £391,437, before claiming he had run out of cash.

Last month his brother Tommy was jailed for seven years for money-laundering. Another brother, Patrick “Patsy” Adams, 61, was sentenced to nine years after being found guilty of GBH.