North Shields money launderer built social club in garden

Jamie Blake admitted a number of charges but refused to say where his money had come from

A money launderer who built a social club in his back garden has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Jamie Blake had 13 unlicensed gambling machines, a pool table, bar and televisions in the outhouse, Northumbria Police said.

A bank search revealed he had been paid more than £107,000, although he refused to say where the money came from.

He admitted three counts of transferring criminal property when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court.

His back garden social club included a pool table and large commercial-sized TVs showing live football

Officers raided his home in North Shields in February 2017 looking for drugs, a force spokesman said.

Police seized more £14,600 in cash from a cooker hood in the kitchen and the gambling machines, which was later accepted to be the criminal proceeds of the illegal gambling.

The club also had a fully furnished bar

Blake, of Wantage Avenue, also admitted one count of possession of criminal property and one count of abstracting electricity at his home address.

His two-year prison sentence was suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to carry out 210 hours of unpaid work and attend 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

Police estimated the outhouse cost £35,000 to build