Apr.15, 2010

A FAMILY have gone on trial in connection with a drugs and money laundering conspiracy.

Craig Rooks, 43, his partner, Heather Bower, 34, his former partner, Karen Schofield, 50, and their son, Nathan Rooks, 20, all deny the charges.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the alleged offending came to light on October 31, 2007 when police raADVERTISEMENT

ided Rooks' and Bower's home at Badger Wood, Todmorden.

Officers seized 663g of amphetamine from a freezer in the garage, further amphetamine and cocaine from the kitchen and over 400 diazepam tablets from a tub in a cupboard.

Tom Storey, prosecuting, said: "The amphetamine had a higher purity than that typically found in street level drugs.

"That indicates, you would expect, that before it is taken by anybody, it would be further diluted or cut - that increases the amount of substance you can then sell on.

"The quantity suggests what was intended is it was to be supplied on to other people."

During subsequent financial investigations, the police discovered that Rooks senior, though registered as self-employed, had never completed a tax return between 2001 and 2007 while Bower had been claiming various benefits.

However, Mr Storey claimed that checks revealed that Schofield was acting as Rooks' banker - paying thousands in and out of her accounts on his behalf.

Schofield worked as a midday supervisor at Castle Hill Primary School, Halifax Road, Todmorden, earning no more than a few thousand pounds per year.

But unexplained payments totalling £67,000 were made into one of her accounts while £144,000 was credited to another.

Mr Storey said she also took out mortgages for £40,000 and £120,000 to buy the land and build the house at Badger Wood where Rooks senior and Bower lived.

However, the prosecution claim she falsified information on the mortgage applications by claiming she was a teacher earning in excess of £40,000 a year.

When police searched Lower Laithe Avenue, Todmorden, where she lived with Rooks junior, they also found a quantity of amphetamine.

After all four were charged, Schofield was made the subject of a restraint order preventing her from disposing of her assets.

But in August 2008 evidence suggests that she and Rooks senior contacted an estate agent and solicitor's firm regarding the sale of the house at Badger Wood, he said.

Mr Storey told the jury: "Craig Rooks was engaged in a lengthy course of criminality to support himself and his partner while apparently earning nothing.

"You can draw the inference that the money concerned is tainted in some way and part of an arrangement he put in place for Schofield to act as his banker."

Rooks senior has pleaded not guilty to possessing class B drugs with intent to supply, possessing class C drugs and conspiracy to launder criminal property.

He has admitted possessing cocaine.

Bower has denied all of the above offences while Schofield has pleaded not guilty to possessing class B drugs with intent to supply, conspiracy to launder criminal property and two charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

Rooks junior faces one offence of possessing class B drugs with intent to supply.

- The case is proceeding