after a Supreme Court jury returned majority guilty verdicts to the charges of importing and possessing $243,000 worth of cocaine with intent to supply.

The jury began its deliberations around 1.15 p.m. yesterday and returned at 4.30 p.m. with the verdict.

And Peyton remained without emotion as the forewoman announced the panel's decision.

Moments after the verdict, Peyton's lawyer, Elizabeth Christopher said: "At this early stage (an appeal) is an option we are seriously considering.'' The verdict brought the week-long retrial to a conclusion. Last December a Supreme Court jury was unable to reach a verdict after the four-man, eight-woman jury deliberated for four-and-a-half hours.

During the trial Peyton was steadfast in his assertion that he did not know, suspect or have reason to suspect that the baby items he carried in a duffel bag contained drugs.

That contrasted with a statement he made to Police where he admitted that he knew there was contraband among the baby items he was carrying to give to a woman called Sharon.

He also admitted that he was paid $1,000 to bring the items to Bermuda.

When pressed, Peyton said that he wrote this in his statement because of inducements and suggestions that Det. Con. Rudolph Richardson made to him.

Peyton, 23, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested at the Bermuda International Airport around 9.30 p.m. on May 22, 1996 after a Customs Officer found two bags of cocaine hidden inside two bottles of baby powder.

The drugs were 64 percent pure and a Police expert testified that they were worth $243,166 on the street if sold in half gram wraps for $125 each.

It emerged that Peyton lied when he told Customs officer O'Brien Roberts that he had bought the baby products from a store in Manhattan when in fact someone else had given them to him.

Additionally, it came to light that the address he gave to Police did not exist even though he knew that he was going to be staying at the Sandpiper Guest House.

Charlene Scott appeared for the Crown while Renee Foggo assisted Ms Christopher, the main defence counsel.