A MERCEDES and mountain bike must be sold after a woman who acted as a criminal 'cashier' for her drug-dealing partner was ordered to surrender £13,000 in ill-gotten gains.

Carlisle crook Stephen Dixon junior masterminded a massive cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis supply plot from his prison cell at HMP Northumberland.

Several other conspirators were drawn into a criminal enterprise which saw police seize £300,000 worth of illegal substances.

Dixon, formerly of Blackwell Road, Currock, was jailed for eight years eight months last year for his lead role.

Six others — including two Carlisle brothers and a mother and son based outside of Cumbria — were also handed lengthy prison sentences after detectives cracked the criminal enterprise.

In January, 2022, the ringleader’s wife, 34-year-old Karen Dixon, was sentenced for laundering — or concealing — just over £14,000 of the illegal profits her husband had raked in.

A judge at the city’s crown court concluded Karen Dixon played the part of “cashier”.

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She “lived a lifestyle that was beyond her legitimate means”, said a prosecutor, while unemployed and in receipt of benefits, and drove a £13,000 Mercedes.

Police discovered two building society accounts — one in her name alone and a second jointly with her husband — into which cash was paid.

Much was deposited by associates of serving prisoners linked to the conspiracy.

Dixon pleaded guilty on the basis that she knew money came from crime but she did not know the details of how it was generated.

The prosecution accepted that she had acted under direction.

As punishment, Karen Dixon was ordered to undergo rehabilitation and a two-month night time curfew.

But police investigators sought to claw back criminal cash by painstakingly trawling through finances.

And Dixon was back at the crown court yesterday (Monday) for a final Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

'It has been a lengthy journey'

Thomas Worsfold, for the prosecution, said there was an agreed “benefit figure” of £12,899. That was matched by her available assets.

These are said to comprise a Mercedes vehicle and mountain bike which will be sold, and a sum of cash which had previously been seized by police from her Blackwell Road address.

“The Crown would request three months to pay,” said Mr Worsfold, “to allow time for items to be transferred over and cash to be deposited.”

Judge Nicholas Barker formally made a confiscation order in the sum of £12,899, and told Dixon there would be a period of up to six months’ custody in the event of any default of payment.

“It has been a lengthy journey to get to this point,” noted Judge Barker.

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