'Drugs general' man found guilty

Gary Hardy had a gangster lifestyle

A Nottinghamshire businessman described as a "drugs general" has been found guilty of running a major drugs network.

Gary Hardy, 45, from The Copse, Mansfield, was found guilty by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court.

His brother Paul Hardy, 47, and his mother June Muers, 67, have also been convicted of drugs offences.

Paul Hardy's partner Zoe Chapman, 29, was also found guilty of drugs offences.

Another defendant Carl Busby, 46, was found not guilty of a charge of money laundering.

The jury had heard Gary Hardy lived a lavish lifestyle funded by dealing drugs and laundering the illegal profits.

He probably thought he was untouchable - the general with a number of lieutenants Det Ch Insp Stewart Bradley, Nottinghamshire Police

He was the head of a family business that supplied heroin and amphetamines to dealers in two of Nottinghamshire's former mining towns, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

During the trial the court heard Gary Hardy ran several unsuccessful businesses yet continued to live a lavish lifestyle.

He put his brother Paul, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, along with other associates, on the books to pay them for illegal drug activities.

The jury heard heroin - hidden in lorry tyres - was smuggled into the country and for every kilo sold on the streets Gary Hardy made £8,000.

Defending Gary Hardy, Trevor Burke said he was a "flamboyant, successful" property businessman, who was a victim of the "politics of envy", and that his client was in the dock because people were jealous of his success.

Gary Hardy used family members in his drugs operations

Prosecutor Richard Latham QC told the court Gary Hardy was a drugs "general" behind the operation who owned several Porsches, Mercedes and Ferraris and paid private school fees in cash.

Gary Hardy was caught after a drugs handover in a car park was traced to his mobile phone - he had been under surveillance.

Det Ch Insp Stewart Bradley from Nottinghamshire Police said: "He probably thought he was untouchable - the general with a number of lieutenants and perhaps what you could describe as soldiers working on the ground.

"The moneys ran into millions. He'd been able to keep away from hands on with the drugs himself."

The court heard he used his crack addict brother Paul to deal vast quantities of drugs. Paul Hardy was found guilty of supplying drugs.

Their mother June Muers, 67, helped Paul deal drugs out of her home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. She was convicted of supplying amphetamine and cannabis.

And Paul's ex-partner Zoe Chapman, 29, would courier drugs to clients in her children's pushchair. She was found guilty of supplying amphetamine.

All four will be sentenced next month.