The Chronicle

Serial thief, aged 20, locked up for his 27th bike theft

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A BABY-FACED serial thief who racked up 69 previous conviction­s before he was 20 has been locked up after stealing a bike for the 27th time.

Former child crook Daniel Dixon, who first carried out a burglary when he was just 14, has a “thing” about stealing bicycles, a court heard.

While riding a bike down a back alley in Jesmond, Newcastle, he spotted an open garage containing a bike worth more than £1,000, which he took and left the one he was riding behind.

In a separate offence, he then drove dangerousl­y and while disqualifi­ed and without insurance when police tried to pull him over.

Despite being a so-called “three strikes burglar” due to his previous for burglary, a judge decided not to invoke the three-year minimum sentence which are usually imposed for such offences.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the burglary of the garage happened on August 12 last year.

Dixon and others were cycling down the back lane of Kingsland, Jesmond, around 5.30pm when he noticed a garage containing a valuable bike was open.

Emma Dowling, prosecutin­g, said: “He swapped it for the bike he was riding, which he left at the scene.

“He clearly preferred the victim’s bike.”

The victim, who had been in and out of the garage and was in the house with his wife at the time, checked CCTV and Dixon was identified by police.

He said he was “angry” at the loss of the bike, which caused him “hassle” at a time he was in poor health, the court heard.

Dixon was then given the suspended prison sentence and a driving ban on February 6 this year for offences from last year, including taking without consent, driving while disqualifi­ed and having no insurance.

But on April 4 he was spotted driving a Ford Focus on Eastbury Avenue, East Denton, around 3.20pm.

When police tried to stop him, he sped off, driving dangerousl­y and failing to give way at two junctions before losing the police.

Dixon, who turned 20 at the end of May, of Wansfell Avenue, Cowgate, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to burglary, dangerous driving, driving while disqualifi­ed, having no insurance and breaching the suspended sentence.

The court heard that of his 69 previous conviction­s, 49 are related to theft.

Judge Stephen Earl sentenced him to 26 months in a young offenders institutio­n and banned him from driving for 31 months. The judge said despite it being his third burglary, he found exceptiona­l circumstan­ces which mean he did not have to impose the three year minimum sentence for third strike burglars.

Judge Earl said: “I don’t think a minimum three-year sentence is appropriat­e for a young man like yourself, notwithsta­nding you have an appalling record.

“This is more akin to an open opportunit­y theft.

“You need to understand you won’t necessaril­y get that opportunit­y again in the future.”

John Wilkinson, defending, said: “He saw a garage door open and nipped in and took the bike.

“Bicycles do seem to be his thing... he has a number of conviction­s for similar offences.”

 ??  ?? Daniel Dixon
Daniel Dixon

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