A CARRIER bag holding £8,000 was found in the boot of a BMW a court heard today as the trial of a Griffithstown ice-cream man and a Cwmbran mother charged with money laundering by selling counterfeit cigarettes continued.

Sara Skinner, 44, of Oakleigh Court, Cwmbran, is on trial at Newport crown court charged with eight counts of converting criminal property, said to be contraband cigarettes and tobacco, over a four-year period to fund her “lavish lifestyle.”

Simon Leighton, 42, of Maple Road South Griffithstown, is on trial alongside Skinner, charged with one count of becoming concerned in money laundering, said to be selling the counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco from his ice cream van.

Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Giving evidence yesterday PC Natalie Sullivan told the court that £8,000 was found in a carrier bag in the boot of a red BMW as police searched Skinner’s home on February 22, 2013.

Footage was shown in evidence of police carrying out the search which showed a police officer opening up the boot of the car to find the large amount of cash.

In Skinner's interview with PC Sullivan she said the cash was her late husband Mark Skinner’s and they were taking it in turns to look after it.

PC Sullivan said that when police questioned Leighton on finding him loading cigarettes into the back of his car on June 5 2012, he said that he didn’t know why the cigarettes were at a house in Cwmbran, but said a woman asked him if he wanted any for himself and he took some.

PC Craig Williams giving evidence said when he searched the house in Cwmbran they found 11 boxes of cigarettes downstairs and two bin bags with Golden Virginia cigarettes in the bedroom. All were seized by police and taken to trading standards.

Louise Thomas of TUI UK, Thomson and First Choice Holidays, also confirmed that Skinner and her family had booked numerous holidays over the four year period to places such as Dominican Republic, Las Vegas, Jamaica and Disneyland Paris; amounting to £52,560.31.

Prosecutor Mr Cobbe told the court on Tuesday the approximate retail value for the cigarettes was £40,000 and £3,500 for the tobacco.

Proceeding.