Crime boss faces long jail term

One of Britain's most notorious criminals faces a long jail term after he admitted money laundering.

Terry Adams, from Mill Hill, north-west London, pleaded guilty to one of nine counts he had faced including mortgage and tax deceptions.

The change of plea came on the eve of what was to have been a four-month trial at Blackfriars' Crown Court.

Adams, who was linked to Britain's most feared crime families for nearly two decades, now faces 14 years in jail.

Judge Timothy Pontius refused a defence application for bail, saying jail was inevitable.

'No-one untouchable'

He said: "The extent and seriousness of the criminal activity represented by the defendant's plea of guilty... mean that a prison sentence of considerable length is wholly inevitable and the risks of granting bail far too great."

Adams was regarded by police as an underworld king and his guilty plea is understood to have saved the need for round-the-clock armed police protection for the jury.

Outside court David Cook from the Serious and Organised Crime Agency said: "No-one is untouchable. No-one is beyond the law or too hard for us to take on."

Another defendant, Joanna Barnes, 38, of Dukes Avenue, Finchley, north London, admitted one count of forgery involving a £15,000 loan agreement. She was allowed bail.

Adams and Barnes will be sentenced on Friday 9 March.