A man told Police he bought a gun to prevent it falling into the hands of youths, the Supreme Court heard yesterday.

Allan William Daniels, of Brooklyn Lane, Pembroke, said he paid $250 for the weapon, according to Police.

Details of the alleged transaction were in a statement Daniels gave to Police.

Det. Con. Llewellyn Edwards, reading from the statement, said Daniels saw an old man approach a group of youths on Court Street last year.

The old man told the youths - who were seeking a guy they had "jumped" - he had a gun.

In the statement, Daniels claimed he told the old man: "I'll take it off your hands because you're not going to sell it to these guys."

He added: "I know that if I had not taken the gun someone would have been dead in a month.

"These guys are out there chasing and chopping each other."

Daniels denies trying to kill Det. Con. Warren Bundy when he allegedly pulled a Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun on Court Street around 7 a.m. on February 12, 2004. Daniels, of Brooklyn Lane, Pembroke, is also accused of using a firearm to resist arrest, possessing ammunition without a licence, possessing cocaine and cannabis with the intent to supply and possessing drug paraphernalia.

On Monday, Daniels pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm without a licence.

Yesterday defence counsel John Perry continued his line that Police planted drugs during their investigation of Daniels.

Mr. Perry suggested to Det. Con. Terry Trott that drugs discovered in a bag at the home of Daniels was "put there by narcotics officers".

Det. Con. Trott said he "could not speak to that".

Det. Con. Trott told the court of his involvement in the search of Daniels' home and the arrest of the defendant's mother a few days later.

He could not recall, remember or speak to many of the questions Mr. Perry asked during cross examination.

He could not speak to the fact that the defendant's mother was asked to sit on a couch during the Police search of her Brooklyn Lane residence.

Nor could he speak to a suggestion by Mr. Perry that, "the defendant was told if he did not take responsibility [for the drugs his mother would be arrested."

And he said he could not recall if money seized was found in a wallet or if the defendant was questioned about the gun at his residence.

Many times during the cross examination Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney stood to object the line of questioning but Puisne Judge Ian Kawaley told him he was being "overanxious" and "nit-picking".

Mr. Perry also questioned Det. Con. Trott about a conversation between the Police and defendant at Hamilton Police Station on February 12.

The officer signed the Police notes regarding the conversation but made no mention of it in his statement, nor could he remember the particularities of the conversation.

Mr. Perry suggested that the conversation was not mentioned because it did not suit the Police's version of events.

Mr. Mahoney later asked Det. Con. Edwards to read the conversation Det. Con. Trott had been questioned about.

In it, Daniels told how he bought the gun.

The trial resumes in Supreme Court One this morning.