Jury continues hearing evidence in drug case

The case against alleged drug trafficker Anderson Bridgeman will continue before the High Court on Friday, June 11.

Bridgeman, who is represented by Arthur Holder, Rhea Layne, Nkasi Blair, Maria Arthur and Einsley Grainger, is on trial on charges of possession, trafficking and importation of 632. 5 kilogrammes of cannabis on July 17, 2012.

When the case against the Belleplaine Housing Area, St Andrew resident resumed before a nine-member jury in the No 2 Supreme Court today forensic expert Debbie Ann Nurse gave evidence on the Crown’s behalf.

Nurse told the jury she conducted an analysis of 33 samples of vegetable matter handed over to her office by lawmen in July 2012.

The assessment concluded that the substance was cannabis, she stated.

Under questioning from Holder, the expert disclosed that while the samples were given in July the analysis was not conducted until February of 2013. She explained that the process does not “normally” take that length of time and there was likely an issue at the time that led to the delay.

The matter is being prosecuted by Senior Crown Counsel Olivia Davis and Crown Counsel Romario Straker.

The court previously heard that Bridgeman was captured along with three other men about 6.5 nautical miles off North Point, St Lucy on July 17, 2012.

The vessel on which they were travelling started to take on water and sink after officers of the Barbados Coast Guard shot disabling fire to the pirogue’s engine after the men failed to stop the vessel after being ordered to do so.

They were ordered on to the officers’ vessel following which the seamen collected a total of 33 polythene bags from the water which was later discovered to contain vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis.