A Romford woman who was jailed for money laundering has told a judge who ordered her to hand over £5,000 in respect of the proceeds of her crime or be jailed that she would go to jail.
Catherine Wassell, 26, of Wassell of Collier Row, Romford, when given the ultimatum of paying the money within thee months or being jailed for three months told Judge Charles Gratwicke : "I'll go to jail then."
She claimed she has no money even though the judge had found that she had available assets of £5,000.
Wassell and her husband, Kristopher Wassell, were originally jailed for their part in a drug racket. He receive 11 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.
When they were sentenced the court was told they had lived the high life with luxury holidays and and other luxury trappings. She was said to have spent thousands on cosmetic surgery, designer clothes jewellery.
But, during the proceeds of crime hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court she told the judge : "I had a good lifestyle - now I've nothing."
However, Judge Gratwicke told her that he found her evidence "unconvincing and unreliable." He held that she had available assets of £5,000 she should hand over and that she should face jail if she did not.