Courts / Dublin / Report

High-speed chase led to loaded handgun being dropped, trial hears

Summary

In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Paul Norton, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun and 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition found in a black drawstring bag at Stardust Memorial Park, Coolock, on 5 October 2019. Gardaí Detective Jason Flynn recounted a high‑speed chase that began when a navy blue Passat was spotted in a cul‑de‑sac off Bunratty Road. The vehicle collided with a traffic island, and Norton exited the car. Flynn pursued Norton into the park, where Norton dropped the bag while attempting to escape. The bag contained the handgun, a full clip of ammunition, and an additional round in the breech. No forensic evidence linked the weapon or ammunition to Norton, and he was arrested on 13 October 2019. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: High-speed chase led to loaded handgun being dropped, trial hears. Charges or matters: the unlawful possession of a Beretta handgun and 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition at the Stardust Memorial Park in Coolock, Dublin on October 5th, 2019. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• October 5th, 2019 Incident
• October 13th, 2019 Incident
• 2020-05-21 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report