Derbyshire man recruited into dealing heroin after running up drug debt

Police raided Carl Dixon's North Wingfield home on February 23 last year, and recovered text messages from his iPhone which indicated Class A and B drug deals over the preceding three months, prosecutor Brian Outhwaite said.

He has previous convictions for 58 offences, dating back to 1990, and received a 57 month prison sentence in 2004 after selling heroin to, and preparing a syringe full of amphetamine for, an undercover police officer, Derby Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Rebecca Coleman, mitigating, said: "This is his third conviction for supplying Class A drugs and he is now facing a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years."

But she said the drug dealing only went on for a limited time and he was encouraged to deal by a man identified as "JD."

"He was acting as a runner on behalf of JD, who appeared to be in overall control of the drug supply, or at least higher in the chain than Mr Dixon," Ms Coleman said.

Dixon took crack cocaine on a night out with a friend while his father and partner were ill, she said, and "he was in a dark place, and things spiralled from there."

"He found himself owing a significant drug debt to JD," said Ms Coleman. "He regrets his actions and he knows he has messed up.

“He has a cannabis problem which leads to Class A drug addiction and debt. Since this offence he has tried to distance himself from drugs.”

Dixon, aged 49, of Hucklow Avenue, North Wingfield, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying Class A drugs and one of supplying a Class B drug.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds told him he would mark his 50th birthday in prison next month.

"I am persuaded there are sufficient circumstances in your favour to make imposing the mandatory minimum sentence unjust," he said.

"Your whole mindset is still steeped in drugs. You regard taking cannabis as completely acceptable.

"Fundamentally you are very selfish and think of yourself first."

He sentenced Dixon to three years in prison.

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Nancy Fielder, editor.