Colleen Campbell and her husband Thomas arrive at Manchester Crown Court
A Matalan shop assistant splashed out £200,000 on a string of extravagant holidays with her husband thanks to a family-run cocaine trafficking racket, a court heard.
Colleen Campbell, 33, worked part time for the clothes store and was said to rely on tax credits.
However a jury was told how the pair enjoyed luxury trips with her husband Thomas to Mexico, Egypt, Gran Canaria, Majorca and Bulgaria.
Thomas, also 33, claimed to be a personal trainer but was pictured during his holidays ‘carrying a bit of weight’, a jury heard.
In December 2013, the couple travelled in ‘premium seats’ to Cancun in Mexico for a 10-day holiday with their children, staying at the five-star Hard Rock Hotel.
The family, from Clayton, Manchester, accommodation included a Jacuzzi, 24-hour room service as well as an X-box gaming console.
During the trip which cost £10,000 and was paid for in cash, the family were also said to have chartered a motorboat, the jury heard.
The couple were accused of laundering drug money so they could sustain their lavish ‘high life’, Manchester Crown Court heard.
They also allegedly recruited members of their family, include both of their mothers, to help deal with the dirty money.
A jury was told how the pair enjoyed luxury trips with her husband Thomas to Mexico, Egypt, Gran Canaria, Majorca and Bulgaria.
The couple were accused of laundering drug money so they could sustain their lavish ‘high life’, Manchester Crown Court heard
The couple also allegedly recruited members of their family, include both of their mothers, to help deal with the dirty money
Over the course of 2012 to 2016, Colleen paid cash deposits on BMWs, Audis and Mercedes, using monthly instalments to pay until upgrading to a better model.
When police attended their home in 2015, the couple had a BMW and a high powered Mercedes worth £60,000 on their drive with the matching number plates.
Using finance agreements, Mr Campbell bought a black 6.3 litre Mercedes AMG for £42,000, while his wife purchased a black BMW X5 for £16,500.
Prosecuting Henry Blackshaw said: ‘This couple are a big fish in a medium pond living well off the back of criminality.
‘They are charged with being involved in criminal property, using the cash and being able to spend it in legitimate ways.
‘Together the family connections contributed to the way that Thomas and Colleen were living. They benefited from extreme profit off the back of illegal drug dealing.
Over the course of 2012 to 2016, Colleen (right) paid cash deposits on BMWs, Audis and Mercedes, using monthly instalments to pay until upgrading to a better model
Colleen’s mother Theresa Bowden, 59, (left) and Thomas’ mother Lynn Campbell, 60, (right) are also accused of laundering the money
‘Thomas Campbell and his wife participated in living the high life. They were spending very extravagantly on holidays, on cars on house renovations which did not fit in with their legitimate income of a few thousand pounds.
The couple were also photographed with Kieran O’Brien, who was found in possession of between £600,000 and £1.3 million of cocaine and was convicted of money laundering of £28,000 in 2015.
Theresa Bowden, 59, Colleen’s mother, and Lynn Campbell, 60, Thomas’ mother are also accused of laundering the money.
Both Lynn and Theresa often joined them on these trips, again paying all in cash at travel agents across Manchester.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court that heard on both sides of the family, there were links to family members who had been convicted of possession with intent to supply cocaine.
Mr Campbell’s brother Lee Campbell and his cousin Stephen Campbell have both been convicted of possession with intent to supply cocaine.
Using finance agreements, Mr Campbell bought a black 6.3 litre Mercedes AMG for £42,000, while his wife purchased a black BMW X5 for £16,500
During a trip to Cancun (pictured), which cost £10,000 and was paid for in cash, the family were also said to have chartered a motorboat, the jury heard
Colleen Campbell’s brother, Brian Bowden, had also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Lynn Campbell is accused of providing rent money for a premises that was used as a ‘cocaine stash house’.
Theresa Bowden mortgaged the home that she had been living with for ten years, and used the money and cash supposedly given to her by the couple to purchase the house across the road.
She also signed off on planning permission for a £60,000 two-storey extension to her home which Thomas and Colleen moved into on completion.
The property extension added room to the dining and kitchen area, and an extra bedroom on the second floor.
They spent over £50,000 on the extension and renovating the property, including installing flat screen TV’s, a gym area in the garden, a personal bar, TV bed and mosaic floors.
Theresa Bowden signed off on planning permission for a £60,000 two-storey extension to her home which Thomas and Colleen (pictured) moved into on completion
In December 2013, the couple travelled in ‘premium seats’ to Cancun in Mexico for a 10-day holiday with their children, staying at the five-star Hard Rock Hotel (pictured)
He went on to show the jury CCTV footage of Mr Campbell taking an interest in a camera that was pointed towards his home.
He said: ‘The camera concerned there is behind a smoke glass dome and has to get close to it to see which direction its pointing.
‘A matter for yourselves that he is taking notice which was it is pointing at which is his front door.
‘The prosecution say that he was getting suspicious that big brother was watching him at that time and it wasn’t welcome, and his business TC fitness comes into fruition in September 2014.
‘You’ll be invited to consider the evidence which has been seized in relation to that, a cash book purporting to record names and payments by various fitness clients of his and very many of them his immediate associates and their partners.
‘We say this is a façade to create a legitimate business. If you look at the photos of him on holiday wouldn’t seem the case that he was working out at that point in his life, he is carrying a bit of weight.’
Lynn Campbell (shown left, taking a cigarette break outside of court) is accused of providing rent money for a premises that was used as a ‘cocaine stash house’
Thomas Campbell was also found to be in the possession of a ‘Probe 700 FX’ which is used to detect if the owner is being monitored, with the prosecution claiming that Mr Campbell used the device to test if he was being surveyed.
Mr Blackshaw also told the court that Mr Campbell handed a prepared statement in regard to the money laundering charges, and Mrs Campbell answered no comment in her interview.
Lynn Campbell said that she was reliant on benefits, and admitted giving Thomas Campbell some money for holidays and admitted transferring the deposit for the ‘stash house’ but denied knowing there were criminal links.
Theresa Bowden told police that she worked at Asda and was also in receipt of benefits, and admitted transferring Colleen money for her car and holidays, but denied there being anything illegal about it.
Thomas Campbell, Colleen Campbell, Lynn Campbell and Theresa Bowden all deny one charge of converting criminal property.
The hearing continues.
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