Michael Branch ordered to pay back drug dealing proceeds

Former Everton star Michael Branch ordered to pay back drug dealing proceeds or face more time
19 Nov 2013 20:58

The former England Under-21 footballer has been ordered to pay £31,000 or face an extra 14 months on his seven-year prison sentence

A former Everton and Manchester City footballer has been told to pay back more than £31,000 of money he made dealing cocaine and amphetamines – or do an extra 14 months in jail.

Michael Branch, 35, was jailed for seven years last November after he admitted passing a 3kg bag of amphetamine to a man in a car park.

Police also found 1kg of cocaine at his house.

Branch, of Otterspool, Liverpool, was given six months to pay at a proceeds of crime hearing.



Branch, who was once compared to fellow Merseyside starlets Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler when he began his career at Goodison Park, appealed against the length of his sentence in February this year but the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal.

Now, a judge has ordered the former striker to pay back £31,894 within six months - all of Branch’s remaining assets - of the £79,402 he gained through drug dealing, or face a further 14 months in prison.

Judge David Hale said: “As a result of your stupidity your whole world has gone. If you thought it was easy money, it was not.

“Not only are you serving your sentence, you are ordered to pay £31,894 which is, in fact, every asset you have.”

Branch, who represented England at Under 21s level, played 41 games for Everton and also played for Wolves, Bradford City, and had loan spells at Manchester City, Hull City, Birmingham City and Reading.

The player, once tipped as a future England star, turned to drug-dealing to make money after falling on hard times at the end of his football career.

Source: Mirror