Drug dealer drove under twin's name while banned

A drug dealer who took out car insurance in his twin's name while disqualified from driving has been jailed for four years after admitting a series of drugs and fraud offences.

Ashley Venmore, 30, of Bretton, Peterborough, was found to have repeatedly bought short-term insurance policies under his brother's details.

Cambridgeshire Police said they uncovered the fraud and found £6,000 in cash and £6,400 worth of drugs at Venmore's home after initially pulling him over for driving while disqualified in May.

Venmore appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday and admitted three counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, 10 counts of fraud by false representation and possession of criminal property.

'Vast amount of money'

Investigations into Venmore's finances revealed more than £100,000 in excess of his declared income had been credited to his accounts over the last two years, police said.

Speaking after the case, Det Con Andy MacDonald said: “Venmore was found to have a vast amount of money in his possession that he could not legitimately account for, through the role he played in the sale of Class A drugs across Peterborough.

“We are now in the process of working with the courts to assess the true financial amount he gained from crime and will go to a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act to strip him of his illicit gains.”

Venmore had been given an eight-week suspended prison sentence in May and made to do 60 hours of unpaid work, for driving without insurance and driving while disqualified that month, police said.