Convicted drug dealer Aldo Pace was ordered to pay his defence lawyer Victoria Pearman $25,571 in legal fees yesterday.

Pace, 49, of North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish, was sentenced in October to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to handling $3,450 worth of crack and cocaine and possessing $37,075 worth of cannabis with intent to supply on March 28, 2003.

Pace was a commercial fisherman and owner of Aldo?s Carpets prior to his incarceration.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act the Government confiscated over $300,000 of Pace?s assets in November. Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons rejected the defence?s arguments that the contents of his accounts were all legitimately earned.

Yesterday Ms Pearman requested that her fees be drawn from what remains in Pace?s account. The legal fees totalled approximately $40,000, but Pace disputed some of the fees and said he would not pay until he saw detailed invoices.

Mrs. Justice Simmons told Pace that the $25,000 he did not dispute would be drawn from what remains in his accounts. She told him that if after receiving invoices he still disputed some of the fees he could take it up with the Registrar who would investigate the matter.

As well as having over $300,000 confiscated from him, Pace was sentenced to spend three years in prison for his crimes. He will soon be released because he was held on remand for 19 months before the sentence was handed down.