The owner of an Essex riding school - convicted of playing a role in a £6m illegal veterinary medicines scam - has been ordered to pay £170,713.43 - the profits of his illicit trade.
Road haulage boss Peter Lock, 54, of Knaves Hall, Warren Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood owned the Colmar Farm Riding School, Colmar Farm, Weald Park Way, South Weald when it was raided.
It is not known if he is still the proprietor.
He was convicted by a Croydon Crown Court jury of fifteen charges of illegally importing and distributing unauthorised or prescription-only veterinary drugs and was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 250 hours community service work.
The court ordered Lock to pay the money in full by September 17 or serve two years and six months imprisonment under Proceeds of Crime Act legislation.
He was also ordered to pay £15,000 costs.
A DEFRA investigation revealed the illegal trade in veterinary medicines including anti-inflammatories, anabolic steroids, tranquillisers, antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers and other miscellaneous products administered to horses, household pets and farm animals.
The illegal medication came from the ringleaders, married couple Ronald Meddes, 72, and Regine Lansley, 61, - nicknamed 'Ronnie and Reggie', the bosses of France-based 'Eurovet'.
Lock had told the jury he bought the riding school, but was not involved in the day-to-day running of the business since 2002.
He is the named company secretary for the school and his ex-wife Michelle - who was not arrested - is the listed company director.
"I had nothing to do with it at all," insisted Lock. "It is a mystery to me, it has nothing to do with me," but the jury rejected his account.
When asked why his name appeared on a Eurovet client list along with his phone number, Lock replied: "I can't answer that.
"I never went down the stables a great deal. My wife's words were: 'You run your business and I'll run mine'."
He suggested a mystery man known only as J Hawkins, who rented a stable at the school, may have been responsible for ordering the illicit shipments, but this individual has never been traced by the police or DEFRA.
The court heard the 18-horse school received deliveries of up to half a ton of medication.
Lock was accused of buying £155,000 of veterinary medicines between January 2004 and September 2008 and Judge Nicholas Ainley told him: "I'm sure you were acting as an agent."
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