A Supreme Court jury yesterday found a construction worker guilty of supplying $70,000 worth of cocaine to a nursery school teacher.

Jamaican Willston Ezekial Davis, 43, showed no emotion as the jury foreman read out the majority verdict after more than four hours of deliberation.

Davis was seen by surveillance officers supplying the cocaine to Cindy Oneia Augustus, a teacher at Vernon Temple Childcare Centre in Southampton on June 5, 2003. Augustus is currently serving a nine-year jail term after previously admitting her part in the drug deal.

During the two-week long trial, Crown prosecutor Oonagh Vaucrosson told the ten-woman, two-man jury how Police and Customs officers staked out the nursery after receiving reports of suspicious activity in the area.

Customs officer Kelly Trott, testified that she witnessed "a dark skinned, short by male standards, clean shaven man", pass a bag to Augustus. She was also able to identify Davis's bike, a cream-coloured scoopy, which Davis later admitted was in his possession throughout the day.

The court also heard how Davis attempted to buy an airline ticket to Newark, New Jersey, the day after the drugs handover.

"It is my suggestion that Davis knew Cindy was arrested and was trying to flea the Island to avoid arrest, purchasing a ticket at the last minute at the highest price", she told the jury.

But defence lawyer Victoria Pearman said the prosecution had failed to prove that her client was the man seen by narcotics officers carrying the drugs.

"Contrary to what my learned friend said ? that the defendant is making up things ? I'm going to suggest to you that the officers are saying things contrary to what happened", said Ms Pearman.

"The prosecution has produced no evidence to you to prove that this is the man. No witness has come in here and said that's him, that's the man!"

Ms Pearman also questioned the validity of Police statements made by Davis ? who cannot read or write ? shortly after his arrest in which he confessed to his part in the deal.

And she implied that police took advantage of her client and claimed that his rights were violated after his arrest.

When Davis took the stand, he claimed that he had been working in St. George's throughout the day of the drug handover.

And he retracted his Police statement, saying that he saw it for the first time more than a year after it was made.

"If I knew what was in the statement I wouldn't have signed", he said.

"If I had told them about the about drugs I would not fight a case like this."

Davis was remanded into custody until September 1.