Man given suspended sentence after being caught dealing Class A drugs in Bicester

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, 21-year-old Jordan Axtell of Acacia Avenue, Oxford, was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Oxford Crown Court on Monday (March 3), after pleading guilty to dealing crack cocaine and heroin and the possession of a knife in a public place at Oxford Magistrates’ Court in January.

Axtell was caught at 1.30pm on January 19 when plain-clothed patrol officers in Bicester saw him make an exchange with four suspected class A drug users on Chapel Street.

Axtell was subsequently detained for a search under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, when the officers located ten wraps of suspected crack cocaine in the inside pocket of his coat, alongside two mobile phones, a locking knife, and cash.

After arresting Axtell, a search was conducted at Axtell’s then-home address in Chapel Street, Bicester, during which officers located about 50 wraps of crack cocaine in the kitchen and a ball of uncut heroin in a cupboard.

The police also recovered paraphernalia at the address that further linked Axtell to drug dealing, including cling film and digital scales, as well as £300 in cash.

Investigating officer PC Neil Wheeler said: "Thames Valley Police work tirelessly to identify, disrupt, and prosecute drug dealers, and this is a good example of the team taking class A drugs out of our communities and a drug dealer off our streets. The evidence against Axtell was overwhelming and he had no alternative but to plead guilty to the offences.

"Through Operation Deter principles, Axtell was charged and remanded within 24 hours of arrest and convicted within 48 hours. Drug dealing and knife crime very often go hand in hand, and tackling both remain force priorities and we will robustly seek to remand offenders to court.

"Axtell has played a significant role in drug dealing and admitted to running his own drug line ‘JT’, and admitted that he cut, weighed and wrapped his own drugs.

"He has been given a suspended prison sentence as a result of his actions, and I hope that he appreciates the opportunity he has been given to reform his ways and does not reoffend."