Michael Madeiros was arrested at 1.30 p.m outside Ice Queen in Paget on October 24 by Det. Con. Azab Ahab, Det. Con. Alan Miguel and Det. Sgt. Hayden Small.

Madeiros alleged he was placed in the back of a Police car and repeatedly struck in the ribs and on the back by Ahab while being interrogated.

He said every time he denied any knowledge of the boxes Police were looking for he was struck on the back of the head.

?I asked over and over again if I could speak to a lawyer,? he told the court.

?But whenever I made a request, Ahab said ?What do you need a lawyer for? You people don?t need lawyers?.?

He was driven to Belmer Drive in Devonshire where Police conducted a search of his house.

Madeiros alleged he was taken inside by narcotics officers where he was struck further and also kicked in the chest so that he fell back onto the living room sofa.

?They kept looking at the pictures of my family and saying ?this is a family business. We?re going to arrest them as well and do the same thing to them?,? Madeiros said.

?Every time I asked for a lawyer I got thumped.?

He was then taken down into the house?s garage where he claimed the assaults continued. Det. Con. David Bhagwam allegedly then walked into the garage, knocked off his own hat, and asked the other officer present ?whether he had seen the suspect throw a punch.?

Receiving an affirmative answer, Madeiros claimed Bhagwam struck him again in the chest.

Following this, rather than being taken to Hamilton Police Station to be booked ? the normal procedure when a suspect is formally arrested ? Madeiros was taken to the narcotics office at Prospect.

He alleged he was taken into a room at the back of the office and subjected to further beatings by Det. Con. Ahab, Det. Sgt. Hayden Small, Det. Con. Antoine Fox and Det. Con. Jameiko Tucker.

?Three times I fell to the ground as they struck me,? he said.

?Each time I curled up into a ball and they just carried on kicking and striking me. I was thrown up against a wall with Fox?s hand around my throat.

?Officer Tucker put my fingers between a pair of pliers and threatened to crush my knuckles unless I co-operated.

?I kept on screaming that I did not know what they were talking about, but it made no difference. They carried on hitting me anyway.?

Madeiros further claimed he was spoken to by Det. Sgt. Steven Lightbourne, who told him he faced up to ten years in prison if convicted, but that if he co-operated he would ?speak to the right people? at the Department of Public Prosecutions to see if a deal could be made.

Superintendent Larry Smith was also present at the narcotics office, Madeiros claimed, and ?was well aware of what was happening?.

He was then taken back to his home at Belmer Drive, where Police conducted a further search of the property.

Meanwhile, lawyer Mark Diel arrived on the scene, but was told in no uncertain terms by Det. Sgt. Lightbourne that he would not be allowed to consult with Madeiros at that stage.

?I asked to see a search warrant, but was never shown one,? Mr. Diel told the court.

?It was made quite clear to me that if I attempted to enter the house or made any sort of fuss I would be arrested. It was a clear breach of normal procedure, but the atmosphere at the time was such that I was aware there was nothing I could do about it.?

Madeiros was only allowed the briefest of exchanges with his lawyer and wife Lisa outside his house on Belmer Drive before being whisked away by Police to Four Star Pizza in Warwick, where the drugs were recovered in a green dumpster located in the car park.