TWO “family men” who profited by more than £80,000 from trafficking cocaine in the Gwent Valleys were ordered to pay back their dirty money.

Mark Walsh and Gary Jackson lived double lives as drug dealers by night as they held down regular jobs during the day.

After they were jailed in March, the pair faced a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.

Walsh, 33, of Pontgam Terrace, Ynysddu, who was sent to prison for four years and eight months, benefitted by £64,392.47 from his drug dealing.

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He has £1,210 left in available assets which he must to repay within three months or serve a default of six months in jail.

Jackson, 34, of Grove Road, Risca, profited by £16,522.15 and he had all that amount available to hand over.

He must pay all that money back within three months or face an extra two years in prison.

During their sentencing hearing in March, the court heard Walsh described as a “Jekyll and Hyde character”.

Ieuan Bennett, prosecuting, said Walsh played the “leading role” with Jackson working as his “runner”.

He told the court how police raided Walsh’s home on Thursday, January 30, where they discovered 107.5 grammes of high purity cocaine with a potential street value of £5,200.

Officers arrested Jackson on the same day.

Mr Bennett said: “Walsh played a leading role as a drug dealer and was in control of others.

“Jackson was effectively working for him as his runner and would drive around with cocaine for users.”

Both men pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, between October 14, 2019 and January 30, 2020.

Mr Bennett said both defendants were of previous good character with no convictions recorded against them.

Thomas Stanway, mitigating for Walsh, said his client had turned to drug dealing to cope with his joint addiction to gambling and cocaine.

He told the court: “He wasn’t leading an extravagant lifestyle. He started playing poker with friends and then moved on to gambling online, playing poker and roulette, and started spending £40 per day.

“The defendant was doing the best for his family in the day and taking cocaine and gambling by night.

“He would wake up in the morning with a feeling of dread about how much money he had frittered away the night before.

“He is a father-of-two who will not see his children grow up over the next few years.”

Hashim Salmman, for Jackson, said his client’s offending had “ruined the lives of his family”.

His barrister added: “Three years ago, he fell into the misuse of cocaine and that escalated and spiralled out of control.

“This has come as a total shock to the system for his partner, his mother and his brother who are all in court to support him.”

The judge, Recorder Mark Powell QC, described both men as “family men” and told the defendants: “I have no alternative but to send you to prison immediately.

“The supply of cocaine wreaks havoc with children. It wreaks havoc with families.

“I spent nearly 40 years as a solicitor in Blackwood and I have seen the effect of this on people like yourselves.”