A NOTORIOUS leader of a drug enterprise in Oxfordshire, who attacked a police officer and escaped custody, is finally behind bars after a major county drug line investigation.

Nicco Dojon Pascal, 28, of Craneshill Drive, Bicester, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin, and one count of escaping lawful custody.

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He was sentenced to a jail for seven years and three months.

The Class A drugs counts related to incidents  between April and September 2020, and the escape from lawful custody took place on August 13.

Detective Inspector Aidan Donohoe, of the Priority Crime and Tasking Team at Banbury police station, said: "The Cherwell and West Oxfordshire Tasking Team, as part of a joint investigation and with support from the Metropolitan Police, targeted a county drug line that was identified as being active in West Oxfordshire.

"The drug line was primarily based in London, and Nicco Pascal was identified as being in control of the criminal enterprise.

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"The investigation, codenamed Operation Junior, began in June 2020.

"As our investigation was progressing into Pascal, officers from the Witney Neighbourhood Team stopped him in a vehicle at around 2.45pm on 13 August in Chipping Norton, West Oxfordshire.

"Having been detained by officers at the scene, Pascal pushed a police constable to the floor and snatched a mobile phone back that had been seized from him, before then fleeing and escaping police custody.

"The officer who was pushed sustained an injury to the back of her head, which required hospital treatment."

Months later - on November 5 - police arrested Pascal at a property in Bicester.

He was charged on that same evening with the drug offences, and then on January 16 he was also charged with escaping lawful custody.

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Pascal was then remanded into custody until he appeared at court, where due to the weight of the evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to all charges.

He has now been sentenced to more than seven years in custody for his involvement in supplying dangerous Class A drugs into West Oxfordshire communities.

DI Donohoe highlighted that the conviction has had a 'significant' impact on county drug line dealing in that area.

He added: "County line offenders like Pascal exploit vulnerable drug users and young people to facilitate their criminal activity and in doing so seek to avoid traditional police enforcement efforts.

"Drug line holders base themselves outside of the counties that they are targeting and we will continue to work jointly with police forces from urban areas to target these offenders and will use a variety of tactics to ensure we are pursuing those that sit at the top of the county line hierarchy. 

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"Drug dealing and county lines will not be tolerated by Thames Valley Police, and I hope that this length of sentence reflects the seriousness with which the courts view the issue of county line drug dealing in Oxfordshire.

"Through our Stronghold campaign, we are committed to working in partnership to tackle serious organised crime and exploitation, such as county lines drug dealing.

"Pascal's efforts to escape from lawful custody after the vehicle stop in Chipping Norton, clearly demonstrated his determination to avoid the evidence of his drug dealing being seized.

"It was a cowardly and unexpected attack which resulted in an officer needing hospital treatment for a head injury.

"I would also like to thank the members of the public who came to the officer’s aid at the scene. 

"Pascal’s arrest, charge and now conviction is a result of excellent work from my officers to disrupt this form of criminal activity, as well as providing safeguarding to vulnerable people who are affected."