Crown outlines case against woman charged in connection with body found in barrel

Opening statements at a murder trial looking into the death of a London man found in a barrel. CTV's Nick Paparella reports.

It was a grim discovery that shocked an east end neighbourhood after the body of 59-year-old Grant Norton was found stuffed in a large plastic barrel in a wooded area near Jacqueline and Ada Streets in east London on July 19, 2022.

A short while later, Ashley Bourget, 40, would be arrested and charged with first-degree murder after officers searched her apartment on Adelaide Street.

In her opening address, Crown attorney Andrea Mason outlined her case, telling the jury that the victim was lured to the apartment of the accused, “You will hear that Grant Norton was a drug dealer. You will also hear the victim and the accused, Ashley Bourget, sold drugs, sometimes together.”

She went on to say, “It is the theory of the Crown that the promise of drugs is what brought Mr. Norton to Ashley Bourget’s house on the night of his murder. He was not seen alive again after July 6th, 2020.”

The Crown said, “Bourget knew Norton was looking for crystal methamphetamine and she let him know that she could help him.”

However, the Crown alleges Norton would be beaten and stabbed at her apartment, saying, “At some point, the intention of simply robbing Mr. Norton changed. Norton was forcibly confined before and during his murder.”

She added, “The cause of his death - blunt force head injuries and stab wounds to his chest.”

The Crown told the jury they would get a glimpse into the drug subculture of London, adding, “Many witnesses are drug users themselves...some deal drugs. You may find they are not the kind of people you want to have dinner with.”

After the Crown’s opening address, the daughter of Grant Norton was called as the first witness.

Crystal Norton, 29, testified about their relationship and how close they were, saying that after her mother died, “I had a very good relationship with him. He was my best friend.”

She said they connected with each other on a regular basis and when Norton went missing, “I reached out to a bunch friends to see if they had heard from him.”

She told the court that she was able to track his last movements online to a gas station on Adelaide Street not far from where his body was discovered.

At the time of his death, her father had been living in a hotel room in Ingersoll.

Ashley Bourget has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. The trial is slated to last three weeks.