Child sex probe chief inspector kills himself
EXCLUSIVE
A FORMER top cop honoured by the Queen killed himself while facing a child sex probe.
Norman Dixon, 59, who died last month, retired as a chief inspector in Edinburgh and received an MBE in 2008. It can now be revealed Dixon was being investigated by his ex-colleagues over a historical sex abuse case involving a child.
Dixon was found dead at his home in the city’s Balerno.
A relative of an alleged victim described him as a “predator”.
A police spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh have now concluded their inquiries into a report of a non-recent sexual assault.”
It’s understood the probe was brought to a close by Dixon’s death.
Earlier, a police spokeswoman said: “Officers were called to an address in Harlow Avenue, Balerno, at about 6.40pm on September 13. A 59-year-old male was discovered deceased within the address.
“There are no suspicious circumstances and a report is being sent to the procurator fiscal.”
Known as Norrie to pals, Dixon was left paralysed in a 2014 cycling accident but recovered to run the Hamburg half-marathon in aid of spinal injury charities.
A family death notice said the “much loved and treasured husband” and “adored dad” had passed away “unexpectedly”.
But the alleged victim’s relative BY ALAN McEWEN alan.mcewen@reachplc.com hit out at Dixon and said he’d escaped being brought to justice.
They said: “Norrie Dixon was an evil, vile predator who knew his time as a free man was short and chose the coward’s way out rather than give his victims a day in court.”
In 2008, Dixon retired from the then-Lothian and Borders force and was presented with his MBE at Buckingham Palace on his last day in uniform.
He was recognised by the Queen for spearheading the development of the PDA electronic police notebook and training officers in its use.
Born in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, and later moving to Edinburgh, Dixon served as a cadet working out of the police box in the city’s High Street and became a constable in the south side.
He was stationed in Gorebridge, Newtongrange, Musselburgh and Dalkeith and rose to the rank of chief inspector.
Following his retirement from the force after 30 years of service, he was a consultant for a software development company, Motorola Solutions, working on police mobile data.
The Record told how he was left paralysed in a cycling accident in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, in which he broke his neck and back.
Doctors feared he’d never walk again, but a few weeks later Dixon began to get feeling back in his legs and started physio.