Man who sold drugs to undercover gardaí and took part in €89k Tesco burglary jailed for over five years

By Isabel Hayes

A drug dealer who sold drugs to undercover gardaí and took part in the €89,000 burglary of a new Tesco store has been jailed for five and a half years.

Eric Norton (32) pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing drugs for sale or supply and two counts of possession of drugs at addresses in Dublin on dates in October 2020 and March 2021.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of burglary at Tesco in Adamstown on March 26th, 2023. He has 101 previous convictions.

Detective Garda Grainne Collier told David Perry BL, prosecuting, that an undercover garda rang Norton and said they had seen his ad for drugs on Snapchat. Undercover gardaí proceeded to buy drugs from Norton on three separate occasions, including cocaine and tablets.

In February 2021, gardaí noticed unusual activity in a basement flat in Fitzwilliam Square, with several young men coming in and out of the building. They discovered it was being leased out on a short-term basis by Norton.

When searched, gardaí found Diazepam tablets, cannabis, and ketamine with a combined total of just under €7,500. Documents found in the flat were linked to Norton, including his passport. He was arrested and questioned by gardaí.

When shown his passport, he admitted it was his and asked for it back as he needed it, the court heard.

While on bail for these drug offences, Norton and three other men arrived in a van at a Tesco store in Adamstown in March 2023 disguised as workmen.

A fire test was being carried out in the store and the men gained access through an open shutter. They loaded €89,000 worth of mobile phones, razors and cigarettes into the van before making their escape.

Norton was recognised in CCTV footage of the burglary and his DNA was found in the van when it was seized. He had photos and videos of the stolen goods on his phone, Garda Kevin Duffy told the court.

After entering guilty pleas to some of the drug offences, Norton failed to show up for a sentence hearing and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, the court heard.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said his client had a drug addiction at the time of the offending and his life had spiralled out of control. He engaged in crime to pay for drugs, defence counsel said. Norton has said he is now drug-free and his sponsor gave evidence on his behalf.

Sentencing him on Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan handed down sentences of two years and three and a half years, which he ordered to run consecutively.