‘very sorry’ | 

Hotel manager caught with €80k cannabis after garda posing as courier delivered drugs to home

Eoin Claxton (37) texted his partner five minutes before the parcel arrived to his address in Rathgar, Dublin, saying: “I have to meet this f**king delivery, a lot of money is riding on it”

Today at 15:30

A hotel manager was caught with just under €80,000 of cannabis herb after a garda posing as a delivery driver delivered the package to his home address.

Eoin Claxton (37) texted his partner five minutes before the parcel arrived to his address in Rathgar, Dublin, saying: “I have to meet this f**king delivery, a lot of money is riding on it,” Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

The court heard the package contained 4.8kg of cannabis herb with a street value of €79,824.

Claxton, of Brighton Road, Rathgar, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply at his home address on December 14, 2020. He was today, jailed for 18 months.

Claxton took the stand and told his sentence hearing that he was laid off during the pandemic, was isolated from family and friends and started gambling “recklessly”.

He said he built up a debt of between €8,000 to €9,500 and was offered a deal whereby he would take in the drugs package to pay off this debt.about:blank

Sentencing Claxton today, Judge Elma Sheahan took into account the fact that Claxton is in employment and is caring for two stepchildren.

She accepted he got involved in this offending because of a gambling debt and that he is now remorseful.

However, the judge said she could not overlook the seriousness of the offence and said a custodial sentence was inevitable. She handed down a sentence of three years and suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions.

She said she was conscious of the family difficulties Claxton was facing and as a result, she adjourned the sentence for four weeks to allow him to put arrangements in place. She remanded him on bail until July.

Detective Garda DJ O’Connor told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that customs officials intercepted the package, which was then discovered to contain the drugs.He told the court he was very sorry for his actions that day. He has 36 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences, but also for theft and fraud, criminal damage, assault and public order offences.