POLICE have hailed the conviction of a 23-year-old man as a major victory in the fight against Class-A drugs in Oxford.

Triston Lawrence, of Nettlebed Mead, Greater Leys, was convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court today on four counts of possession with intent to supply Class-A and Class-C drugs, worth up to £15,000.

Lawrence fled a police raid on his former home in Berry Close, Blackbird Leys, in June last year.

Officers spotted the dealer escaping over the roof of an adjoining property before throwing away a Tesco plastic bag containing 26g of heroin, 150g of cocaine, 8g of crack cocaine and 44g of cannabis.

He was pursued by Det Sgt Simon Steel who recognised him as the man escaping.

But Lawrence denied the charges, claiming he was at his sister's at the time of the incident and could not have been running away from police because he had an ongoing back problem.

Officers also recovered a set of electronic scales, £1,740 in cash and a replica gun from Lawrence's bedroom.

Lawrence was also found guilty of escaping lawful custody after being arrested on July 30 last year, when he was a passenger in a car being driven by his cousin, Anthony Smith, of Empress Court, in Woodin's Way, Oxford.

Police driving an unmarked police car spotted the pair in a Chevrolet Matiz and an officer arrested Lawrence after smashing a side window.

However, Smith, 28, sped off before ramming the police car, mounting a kerb and escaping from officers.

Smith was found guilty on two counts of dangerous driving and assisting an offender.

The jury took under two hours to unanimously return guilty verdicts on all seven charges.

Mr Recorder Peter Lodder told the pair they could both expect to face jail terms when they are sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, April 21.

After the trial, Det Sgt Steel said: "We're delighted that this man was found guilty on all counts and we're equally delighted for the people of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, who have highlighted drug-dealing as one of their top policing priorities.

"The quantity of Class-A drugs was extremely significant and makes Lawrence one of the largest dealers of Class-A drugs in the city in recent years.

"He was a significant dealer and this puts out the message that drug-dealing won't be tolerated in Oxford."