A drug trafficker from Fife who enjoyed a money spinning “criminal lifestyle” has been forced to hand over nearly £173,000 after failing to come to court.
William Binnie,52, was supposed to attend on Thursday to argue he should not have to hand cash over to prosecutors under proceeds of crime legislation.
But the repeat offender failed to turn up to the High Court in Edinburgh, forcing Crown lawyers to ask temporary judge Alistair Watson to order the crook to hand over funds.
The court heard investigators established Binnie, who has served two jail terms for drug dealing, made a total of £678,581.51 from his life of crime.
Only has £172,937.00 in assets available currently.
Five-year pursuit
The proceeds of crime hearing was first raised five years ago but has been postponed on 20 previous occasions – mostly to help defence preparations.
On earlier occasions, the court heard Binnie sought delays so he could visit an Apple Shop with a computer containing evidence which he said was crucial to the case.
He claimed he had forgotten his passcode and was hoping a Genius Bar technician could crack it for him.
He wanted to establish part of his funds were gained through selling items on Gumtree, including vehicles.
The court also heard Binnie was in a “bad way” after suffering a stroke.
He then sacked his legal team and decided to fight the action by himself but told a judge the pressure of the case was making him feel “suicidal”.
He had known about this week’s hearing since the end of September 2023 and on Thursday, prosecutor Bryan Heaney moved the court to pass an order forcing Binnie to hand over the cash.
Judge Watson agreed.
He said: “In the absence of the accused, the court finds that the accused had a criminal lifestyle.
“The court finds that the benefit in the case to the accused was £678,581.51 and the amount available for recovery is £172,937.00.
“The court will allow six months for payment of the sum.”
The court order means prosecutors can resume their pursuit if they discover more of Binnie’s fortune.
Repeated drug crimes
Binnie was jailed in 2019 after he was caught with cocaine worth £1,750.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug between August 2018 and January 2019 at Rising Sun Road, Buckhaven and Main Street, West Wemyss.
He previously served a nine-year sentence for trafficking in heroin, imposed in September 2005.
On that occasion, police caught him with drugs in Fife just days after he benefited from early release from an eight-year term imposed in 1999 for assault and robbery.
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