Joint operation brings Berwick drugs dealer to justice
Nov 25 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
A DRUGS dealer was snared by a joint police force operation after escaping officers in a 100mph car chase.
Greg Dixon, 26, of no fixed address and who brought heroin and cocaine to the streets of Berwick, yesterday pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court.
Police officers began tracking Dixon in May, after an incident in Berwick where a house window was shot out. No one was injured but Dixon was suspected of the offence.
Information had been coming into police for several months beforehand about a man with a Liverpool accent who had visited Berwick, possibly with a gun, although this had never been firmly established. Following the shooting, officers from Northumberland Police set up a large-scale operation to trace Dixon, who used more than one name and had access to several high-powered cars.
Inquiries took officers to a caravan park outside Edinburgh where they found one of Dixon’s cars. This then led them to the Toxteth area of Liverpool and it became apparent Dixon was driving between Liverpool, Berwick and the Scottish borders, selling drugs.
At one stage motor patrol officers spotted Dixon on the A1 at Seaton Burn and began pursuing his powerful Subaru Impreza into Northumberland. Officers withdrew from the pursuit for the safety of the public and themselves as Dixon sped off at speeds in excess of 100mph.
A week later, a joint operation between officers from Northumberland and North Yorkshire police took place where Dixon’s Mitsubishi was sighted in Ripon and he was arrested by armed officers. A search of his car revealed a loaded firearm – an improvised handgun. Also found were a variety of drugs – one kilo of amphetamines, five nine-ounce bars of cannabis resin, a further 89 grams of cannabis, 17 grams of cocaine and 100 LSD tablets.
Dixon pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm. He had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to possessing cocaine, amphetamine and LSD with intent to supply, possession of heroin and 12 other drugs offences. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in February.
Share
