Nov 15 - Cocaine Trial Begins At The Supreme Court
A man who claims he has been framed by the police for the possession of cocaine has gone on trial at the Supreme Court.
Andrew Ferrell and his co-defendant Ylenia Gomez face one count of possession and one count of possession with intent to supply 7.02g of cocaine.
This is the third time the co-defendants have appeared at the Supreme Court for trial.
The case dates back to March last year when an unmarked police car followed Ferrell's silver Mercedes-Benz along Winston Churchill Avenue. Ferrell’s car stopped at the bus stop outside Referendum House at which point it was suspected that he was carrying out a drug deal with the occupants of another parked car.
Officers approached the car and saw two women in the back of the car, including Gomez, and it is alleged the police found some pills and cannabis.
Ricky Rhoda QC, who appears for the Crown, said the co-defendants were taken to New Mole House police station for questioning and the car was locked in the presence of Ferrell until sniffer dogs arrived. A manual search was carried out and officers reportedly found 10 individual wrapped packets of a white substance that later tested positive for cocaine in the pouch behind the driver's seat. There was also £100 in cash and two mobile phones found in the car, as well as a wad of cash in Ferrell's pocket.
The drugs, with a street value of around £420, were seized and sealed, and DNA tests were carried out on the two co-defendants as well swab tests carried out by Customs officers which confirmed cocaine traces were found on both of Ferrell's cars, his clothing and his hands. His DNA was also found on the drug wrappers that were tested in a laboratory in the UK.
In his police interview Ferrell claimed he had been framed by the police. Ferrell and Gomez were later released on bail.
However, Mr Rhoda argues that Ferrell had previously served time in prison for supplying drugs, and that the drugs would only be in individual wrappers for an easy sale, as opposed to being in a large single packet if they were for personal use.
The jury heard that after surrendering bail, Gomez brought in an affidavit a few months later, claiming she had placed the drugs in the car without Ferrell's knowledge, however the prosecution said it didn't match her story, and while being interviewed again she told the police that half her story was "bullshit" and she wrote it in the presence of Ferrell and was not sure whether she acted out of “love, humility, justice, idiocy or stupidity”, Mr Rhoda said.
When asked by defence counsel Leigh Debono, who appears for Ferrell, whether he had planted the drugs himself, DC Joseph Cassaglia said he did not, adding that he would never risk his job, his morals or integrity after having taken the police oath.
Mr Rhoda is being assisted by Mark Zammitt, while John Restano QC and Darren Martinez appear for Gomez.
The trial continues today.
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