Class A drug supplier stripped of luxury items

A convicted supplier of cocaine and heroin has been granted a confiscation order meaning he will have to pay back some of his proceeds of crime. 

Joe Hatherall, formerly of South Gloucestershire, was one of four people brought to justice following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in November 2025. He was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for his leading role supplying class A drugs throughout the South West. 

SWROCU’s financial investigation team calculated Hatherall’s personal benefit from crime to be £1,035,739.87. On Friday (5 June) at Bristol Crown Court it was determined his available assets to be £161,924.46 so a confiscation order was made in this amount.  

A Land Rover valued at approximately £39,000, an Audemars Piguet watch valued at £40,000, and designer goods to the value £9,655 including Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Givenchy were seized upon his arrest and will be sold at auction to pay towards his order. 

Included in the confiscation figure are other hidden assets SWROCU officers became aware of during the investigation such as a jet ski valued at £10,000 and two Rolex watches valued at £8,565 and £11,350. £42,000 worth of cryptocurrency was seized and will be sold. 

Peter Highway from SWROCU said:

“Hatherall is a career criminal motivated by financial gain and the lure of a luxury lifestyle. He enjoyed driving a high-end car, wearing designer clothes and owning luxury watches, but our financial investigation team has worked diligently to deprive him of the lifestyle he was funding by supplying heroin and cocaine in our communities. 

“The money paid back will go towards financing law enforcement activity related to serious and organised crime.”