Nov 17 - Man Claims RGP Planted Cocaine In His Car – Supreme Court Trial Continues
The man who claims the Royal Gibraltar Police planted cocaine in his car to “stitch” him up gave evidence at a Supreme Court trial yesterday.
Andrew Ferrell maintained his innocence while on the stand when prosecutor Ricky Rhoda QC accused him of making serious allegations against the police.
Ferrell says he is telling the truth and accuses officers of planting the drugs in his car and deliberately contaminating the cocaine wrappers with his DNA from his buccal swab.
Ferrell, 49, and his co-defendant Ylenia Gomez, 29, have been on trial this week facing one count of the possession of 7.02g of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to supply the Class A drug following an incident which took place in March last year.
It is alleged that an unmarked police car approached Ferrell’s car at a bus stop outside Referendum House and arrested Gomez and another woman who was sitting at the back, and detained Ferrell for further questioning.
Ferrell drove RGP officers DC Joseph Cassaglia and DC Paul Chiara to the police station in his car and, when examined by his defence counsel Leigh Debono, he claimed that DC Cassaglia’s hand “started wandering” in the back of the car.
On arrival at New Mole House Police Station, a sniffer dog indicated the presence of cocaine in the car and, after a manual search was conducted, 10 wrappers filled with cocaine were found in a pouch behind the driver’s seat.
On finding the cocaine wrappers, Ferrell said he told the police they had “stitched” him up.
He said: “I said, ‘You people should be ashamed of yourselves trying to do this to me twice in a row.’”
Mr Rhoda went through Ferrell’s former convictions including a drugs arrest in 2008 after which he also accused the RGP of stitching him up.
Ferrell was also questioned about an affidavit signed by his co-defendant Gomez, in which she took full responsibility for the drugs found in the car.
The defendant said the reason why he agreed to Gomez signing the affidavit is because it would “put a spanner in the works” for police officers investigating this. Ferrell also told the jury he allowed Gomez to go ahead with the affidavit because he thought it could be cancelled at any time. He added that she was addicted to drugs and she told him time spent in prison would help her rehabilitation.
Mr Rhoda, assisted by Mark Clive Zammitt, said: “You are prepared to do anything to wriggle out of this affair, including letting your girlfriend go to prison for you.”
John Restano QC and Darren Martinez appear for Gomez.
The trial is expected to end today.
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