A drug-dealing gran has been banned from returning to the council house she used to help flood the streets with deadly Class As.
Carol Dale was jailed for seven years for her role in a gang, which brought heroin and crack cocaine from Liverpool to Newcastle.
And now housing association, Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), has won a legal bid to prevent her from returning to the Scotswood council house she used to receive, handle and store the potentially lethal shipments from Merseyside.
Read more: Gateshead community plans night of fundraising for family of tragic teen Tomasz Oleszak
Newcastle Crown Court heard, how former barmaid Dale was involved with a gang who flooded the North East with class A drugs transported from Liverpool.
The court was told how David Williams, from Liverpool, used his taxi to transport the illicit substances from the North West to Dale’s house on Westfield Road before returning to his home city with cash.
Dale, who had previously worked at Greggs, then prepared the heroin and crack cocaine for onward sale by using scales to weigh and separate them into smaller plastic bags.
The grandmother was jailed for seven-and-a-half years, in 2020, after pleading guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply, possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property.
YHN, which manages council tenancies on behalf of Newcastle City Council took legal action on behalf of the local authority to ensure Dale will never be able to return to the address where she carried out her crimes.
Working with Northumbria Police, the housing association used evidence presented in the original criminal trial to demonstrate that Dale had been the perpetrator of anti-social behaviour and had contributed to wider social and criminal issues through her role in bringing illegal drugs to the streets of Newcastle.
Dale initially appealed the action but following a lengthy legal process YHN was successful in gaining an order from Newcastle County Court, which means their former tenant will not have any rights to return to the property she previously called home.
Jen Vinton, Group Director of Housing at YHN said: “One of the core reasons Your Homes Newcastle exists is to provide safe homes and communities for our customers and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure local neighbourhoods are safe and welcoming places to live.
“We need to be able to provide lots of evidence to support our case to enable us to act against perpetrators, as even with a conviction, the process of legal action can still be complicated and expensive.
“We will not tolerate crime and anti-social behaviour and by working in partnership with our colleagues at Northumbria Police and Newcastle City Council we are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure perpetrators like Carol Dale are not able to continue living in the properties we manage.”
Coun Irim Ali, who is responsible for housing and regulation, said: “I welcome this action by YHN and the council as I am sure residents do too.
“Everyone has the right to live in a safe and peaceful neighbourhood free of anti-social behaviour, and my heart goes out to all the residents whose lives were affected by criminal activity at that address.
“I’d like to commend Your Homes Newcastle for sticking to the course and achieving this order. It sends a strong message that if you use your council house for criminal activity we will seek to take that house away from you.”
And Supt Jamie Pitt, of Northumbria Police added: "As a force, we are determined to do all we can to protect our communities from the corrosive impact illegal drug supply can have.
“Our role is predominantly to disrupt the supply chain, topple the organised criminal groups behind it and help achieve real, long-lasting change in our communities.
“Drug supply is a complex issue, which is why we continue to work with our partners, such as Your Homes Newcastle and the local authority to help ensure vulnerable drug users are given the support they need, and those involved in criminality, making money from misery are identified and brought to justice.”
Williams, 49, of Queens Drive, West Derby in Liverpool, was also locked up in 2020 after he admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and possession of criminal property.
Read next:
Police hunt yobs who hurled firework from car in Cullercoats
Prolific menace Liam Ellison banned from every shop in Sunderland city centre
'I want to lay him to rest' - Murdered Jimmy Prout's brother still waiting to scatter his ashes
Former Royal Grammar School head banned from teaching over sexual misconduct allegations
