DRUG dealer Maria Suzanne Parnell has been ordered to pay back more than £9,000 of her ill-gotten gains.

The 55-year-old, of Semley, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, and one count of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.

She was sentenced to 42 months in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court in March 2022.

On Monday (February 5), she returned to Bournemouth for a hearing to consider an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

The conviction came after police stopped a vehicle in Blackmore Road, Shaftesbury, at around 4.25pm on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

Following a search of the vehicle and Parnell’s handbag, a substantial amount of drugs and cash were found.

Parnell was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle and was subsequently arrested and charged.

The total amount of cash seized was £850 and the estimated value of the drugs seized was around £12,700.

During the POCA proceedings this week, the court ruled the total benefit figure from Parnell’s offending amounted to £53,309.90. The court also ruled that the total available amount was £9,537.66.

She was given three months to pay the available amount, or she will face an additional prison sentence of six months.

Detective Constable Scott Brimicombe, of Dorset Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “I hope this case demonstrates that we will use POCA legislation where it is available to take illegal earnings from criminals.

“As with all Proceeds of Crime confiscation orders, the outstanding benefit figure is still owed and the case will be reviewed in the future to ascertain if the defendant has acquired further assets.”