A rogue businessman has been ordered to pay back £300,000 he made from handling stolen goods.

Richard Moroney, 52, was described by a judge as a "professional handler".

He was sentenced to four years in prison in September last year after he was convicted by a jury of 19 charges of handling stolen goods.

Moroney was yesterday ordered to pay the estimated £301,662 profit from his crimes or face three further years in jail when his sentence ends.

Lewes Crown Court heard how police, who raided his farm near Horsham in December 2002, seized more than 200 items of property found in the farmyard and outbuildings, including a horse box, lawnmowers, trailers and a generator.

Police could not prove all the seized items were stolen but some of the property had been taken from land near his home, Deepdene Farm in Guildford Road, Broadbridge Heath. Following his conviction, Moroney, who also ran legitimate businesses from the farm, police began an investigation into his complicated finances with the aim of confiscating the proceeds of his criminal activity.

He was brought from prison to appear in court where Recorder Simon Taylor, QC, handed down his judgment in a 56-page document.

Moroney, a family man, denied at the trial he had committed any crime and claimed he only made money from running legal businesses, including a construction company, a vehicle recovery firm and a snooker club.

He also had interests in property, including some in Kings Road, Chelsea, and other areas of London, which were rented out.

He blamed other people for bringing stolen property on to his farm and claimed he knew nothing about it.

Moroney, who was convicted of handling stolen property worth £47,000, claimed he had no hidden cash and had debts including mortgage arrears and credit card bills.

But Recorder Taylor said evidence at the trial had satisfied him beyond any doubt Moroney made at least part of his living from handling stolen goods. He said in his judgment: "I was left in no doubt that he was a professional handler on a large scale. I decline to assume there were no stolen items on the defendant's farm other than those that form the subject matter of the indictment.

"On the contrary, I am sure there were a great many. I find he did have a substantial income from criminal activity."

He continued: "The impression I formed is that the defendant is financially disorganised and part of his apparent indebtedness may reflect that aspect of his character.

"I also formed the view that his chosen manner of living was, as it were, to juggle debts."

The police investigation revealed Moroney had about ten bank accounts. His accounts were described in court as "chaotic".

Detectives also found connections with vehicles including a £70,000 Porsche and a Bentley valued at £6,000.

Recorder Taylor ruled the value of the farm, where Moroney's partner Kim Makins and his two youngest children live, should not be included in the calculations for confiscation because it is the family home.

He gave Moroney 12 months to pay the £301,662 because the payment is likely to force the sale of other properties.

After the hearing Detective Sergeant Simon Harsley, a financial investigator for Sussex Police who led the investigation into Moroney's assets, said he was delighted with the ruling.