A CANNABIS grower has been ordered to hand over his illegal profits or spend an extra three years in jail.
Josef MacNamara made more than £2.5 million from his cannabis farm near Crediton but now has only £384,120 of available assets.
The aristocrat’s stepson ran a 144-plant cannabis factory in a compound on land at Sandford, which was capable of producing £1.4 million worth of cannabis a year.
He claimed his wealth did not come from cannabis growing but was cash which his father had made through successful gambling and had buried at secret locations around the yard, passing on the secret locations on his death bed.
His claims were rejected as nonsense by a judge at Exeter Crown Court when he was jailed for four years and four months in March 2023.
MacNamara, aged 51, of Newbuildings, Sandford, who was convicted of producing cannabis and converting criminal property, was back at the same court to face a Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation hearing.
Judge David Evans was told MacNamara had benefited by £2,584,281 from his crimes – and had assets worth £384,120 which included a piece of land to be sold.
Police also seized three cars, a van and a trials bike worth £115,000 which are to be auctioned off.
The judge said the £384,000 must be paid in three months or MacNamara will face another three years behind bars in default.
During the trial in March 2023, the jury heard that MacNamara ran a production line with young plants being brought on to replace those harvested. He was caught with 11 kilograms of the drug, packaged for wholesale delivery.
A police expert estimated the set-up was capable of growing cannabis worth at least £380,000 a year at wholesale prices and £1.4 million in street prices.
Police raided the compound at Longridge on July 9, 2020, and found a professional set-up which had been running for at least three years and capable of producing eight to 13 crops a year.
MacNamara had told the jury his mother's husband is Lord O'Hagan who is a former Tory member of the European Parliament.