A drug dealer escaped a police raid wearing only boxer shorts while his accomplice attempted to flush £10,000 worth of heroin down a toilet, causing a bathroom flood.
The Chaotic Escape
Andre McGowan, 36, leaped from a first-floor window of his flat in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, during a police raid in February 2023. Bodycam footage shows officers storming the property as McGowan, barefoot and half-naked, sprinted down a path and tossed a bag of drugs over a garden fence.
One officer shouted: “Police, stay where you are! He’s out the window in his boxer shorts.” Colleagues chased and tackled McGowan nearby.
Court Sentences and Drug Operation
Nottingham Crown Court sentenced McGowan to 12 years in prison after he admitted supplying crack cocaine and heroin. He ran the “Vic Line” drug network across the city for six years.
On the same morning, police arrested accomplice Shabezz Wheeler-Spink, 30, at his partner’s house in Basford, Nottingham. Footage captures Wheeler-Spink flushing two plastic bags containing 104 grams of heroin, which clogged the toilet and flooded the bathroom.
Wheeler-Spink received a three-year sentence for supplying Class A drugs and possessing cannabis.
Evidence from the Raids
Investigators confirmed McGowan and Wheeler-Spink operated the “Vic Line,” with Wheeler-Spink delivering drugs to customers. Police seized the operation’s handset, which contained a mass text message saying “Morning!” to signal orders were open. Customers called the line to buy drugs.
Another phone held a video showing what appeared to be 11kg blocks of cocaine and heroin. Phone records showed 70 messages sent to contacts in just 10 minutes on one occasion.
Raids yielded substantial drugs and cash, a metal press for compacting narcotics, and an Aldi bag with £35,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine that McGowan threw into a garden. Authorities confiscated £28,186 in cryptocurrency and bank assets from McGowan, who enjoyed lavish holidays in Dubai and Turkey.
Following Wheeler-Spink’s arrest, officers found two lock knives, a dagger, a sheathed knife, and nearly £12,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.
Investigator’s Comments
Investigating officer Liz Scott stated: “McGowan thought he could run from the police but failed spectacularly. By climbing out a first-floor window in only his boxer shorts, he grazed his feet while attempting to flee and had to be treated in hospital as a result.”
