Last updated 08:13, Friday, 05 December 2008

A DRUG runner has pointed the finger at three people he says were involved in a plot to import millions of pounds worth of drugs. The accused include former Barrow car salesman Jim Nightingale (pictured).

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Angus McDonald, 44, was the first prosecution witness in the trial of two men and a woman accused of helping to launder some of the £35m made from importing cannabis into Windermere.

One of the men, John James “Jim” Nightingale, is also accused of being one of those who conspired to import the drug from Spain.

Prosecution witness McDonald, of Craig Walk, Windermere, has already pleaded guilty to drugs conspiracy and money laundering charges.

Yesterday he became the key witness in the Carlisle Crown Court trial of Nightingale, Sharon Ambrose, and Duncan William Maxwell, who he says were involved with him.

The court heard how a gang – led by Liverpool-born George Tymoszycki, who lived in the Lake District for several years – arranged for huge amounts of cannabis to be shipped from Spain to a cash and carry warehouse in Windermere.

The plot was foiled when police in Seville became suspicious of a consignment of five pallets awaiting shipment.

They found 4½ tonnes of cannabis – worth £12m if it had ever reached the streets of Britain – and replaced it with sand and bricks before sending it on its way. The alleged ringleaders were arrested when it arrived in Cumbria and charged with various drug dealing and money-laundering crimes.

McDonald said he and Nightingale had been arrested at the Windermere cash and carry while unloading the pallets of boxes which, unknown to them, contained only the sand and bricks left there by the Spanish police.

Further investigations showed that cannabis worth a total of £35m could have been sent in four previous consignments.

The prosecution says the conspiracy was masterminded by Tymoszycki, who died in June, before he could be brought to justice. Those on trial are his ex-wife Sharon Ambrose, 48, of Storrs Park, Bowness; Nightingale, 65, of Lane End West, Bowness, who runs a car hire business in Windermere and used to work at Holker Ford in Barrow; and Duncan William Maxwell, 43, of Lake Road, Bowness.

Nightingale has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with others to supply cannabis and to money laundering, while Ambrose and Maxwell have both denied money-laundering.

In evidence yesterday McDonald said all of the defendants had been involved to some extent.

He said Maxwell had given him £100 to pay into his building society account £10,000 in cash, which was delivered to him in a carrier bag. He said Maxwell had told him the money belonged to Tymoszycki, who wanted it kept “hush-hush” so the taxman did not get to hear of it.

McDonald said he paid in more money on other occasions, sometimes dividing it into smaller amounts after being told that Tymoszycki believed “it wasn’t so noticeable” if it was done like that.

He said after paying money into his account he wrote and signed cheques – without filling in any name as the payee.

Only later, he said, did he discover that someone else had written in the name “S Ambrose” as payee.

The trial continues.