A DRUG dealer who lived a life of luxury while selling thousands of pounds of drugs has had his jail term slashed by a year.
Darren Bowling, 48, of Colne Road, Barrowford, and Paul Bell, 50, of Warwick Court, Massie Street, Cheadle, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs.
Bowling, who also admitted concealing and possessing criminal property, was locked up for 11 and a half years at Preston Crown Court in October last year.
Mr Justice Spencer told London’s Criminal Court of Appeal that Bowling and Bell ‘both played a leading role’ in the conspiracy.
In July 2013, police intercepted a payment for a wholesale package of cannabis that the duo were selling.
Two kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of more than £500,000, were seized in Sale in September 2013.
Police tracked Bowling moving boxes and bags containing a total of £140,000 in cash in and out of his storage company in Hapton.
When the pair were arrested police said Bowling had been living in a luxury €1.5m apartment in Malaga, complete with swimming pool and owned properties in Bulgaria and a converted barn in east Lancashire.
He was also driving a Porsche Cayenne with a personal number plate 36 BOW and also had a brand new Volkswagen Golf.
Both men’s lawyers argued their jail terms were too tough.
Mr Justice Spencer said Bowling – who had never been to prison before – had received a ‘very substantial sentence’. He took into account his previous good character and work record when reducing the sentence by a year.
But Bell, who received 12 years and eight months failed to get his term reduced.
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