Burglar wore Freddy Krueger mask during Ashington crime spree

Burglar Shaun Dixon and left, the mask he used the night of his crime spree. Below left, Freddy Kreuger, who he was trying to disguise himself as.

Serial criminal Shaun Dixon carried out the offences on the night of June 7, stealing the horror mask and a Stanley knife from a vacant home in Ashington’s Seventh Row.

With his disguise in place, he then ventured to Station Road where a Ring doorbell caught the 35-year-old trying to gain entry through a back door, before running off empty-handed.

He then walked to Field View where he tried to break into cars and houses in an attempt to find an unlocked door.

But he was soon rumbled when he was spotted trying car doors in the Bath Court area and was confronted by an occupant. The thief brandished his knife before running back to Seventh Row.

By that point, police were hot on his heels and officers soon found him in the garden of the first property.

He attempted to flee but was arrested and later charged the following day with 10 offences, including burglary and possession of a bladed article.

Dixon pleaded guilty to all offences and a judge sentenced him to 42 months behind bars.

Detective Constable Jon Mullen, of Northumbria Police’s Northern Burglary Team, said: “Shaun Dixon is a serial offender who has been a drain on resources for some time.

“Burglaries can cause such unnecessary harm and upset for victims who find themselves and their homes or property targeted through no fault of their own.

“In this case, we’d like to thank the member of the public who swiftly rang 999 when they saw Dixon’s criminality, and that meant we were able to quickly locate the masked man and detain him.

“After some outstanding work between all our criminal justice partners and the public, we were able to charge Dixon with a string of offences within hours of his crimewave taking place.

“We will not tolerate burglary or theft of any kind and will use every tactic at our disposal to bring offenders to justice.”

Dixon, of Ashington, admitted one count of burglary, four counts of attempted burglary, possession of a bladed article and two counts of theft from a vehicle.