A jury heard details about how an investigation into a former police officer for alleged gun and drug smuggling was launched days after a shipment was discovered.

A police officer told the Supreme Court that an investigation into Jonathan McAlpine-Talbot started on or about November 20, 2023, about a week after several firearms and a large quantity of drugs were found in St George’s.

Mr McAlpine-Talbot and Ezekiel Swan have denied allegations that they conspired with others to import and supply firearms and ammunition between an unknown date and November 14, 2023.

Both men have also denied allegations of conspiring to import and supply controlled drugs between an unknown date and December 2, 2023.

Mr McAlpine-Talbot, a former sergeant in the Bermuda Police Service, also denied a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice by improperly sharing information into the investigation of the murder of Wilfred Outerbridge Jr

Earlier this week, the court heard that up until late 2023, Mr McAlpine-Talbot had been collecting information from a confidential source regarding guns, drugs and gang activity.

However, his interactions with the source came under scrutiny after the source was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Mr Outerbridge, although the source was never charged with that offence.

Detective Superintendent Dennis Astwood, who oversaw intelligence gathering at the BPS at the time, told the court how information from sources was stored on a police database along with “grading” of the source’s reliability, the accuracy of the information and the level of secrecy with which the information was to be kept.

He said that the identities of confidential sources were not included in the files and Mr McAlpine-Talbot’s source was given the pseudonym of “Jane Costa”.

Mr Astwood said that Mr McAlpine-Talbot’s name was also not included in the files, with the database instead listing Andy Jones, the information co-ordinator who inputted the data and oversaw Mr McAlpine-Talbot’s work with the source.

He accepted suggestions by Jerome Lynch KC, who is representing Mr McAlpine-Talbot, that the information supplied had been useful, with some receiving the highest grade, and “Jane Costa” was considered a “highly valuable source”.

Mr Astwood said that he understood Mr Jones had met “Jane Costa” with Mr McAlpine-Talbot on two occasions, during which the source wore a balaclava and gloves to hide their identity.

He said that on both occasions, Mr Jones had provided the source with money for the information they provided, with the source receiving more than $3,000 during the second meeting.

After the source was arrested for murder in December 2023, Mr Astwood said that Mr McAlpine-Talbot disclosed their identity, causing the witness to request the defendant to provide a report on his interactions with “Jane Costa”.

He said the goal of the report was to document the relationship so that it could be properly scrutinised.

In the report, the defendant said that he knew the source was a low-level cannabis user and dealer who did not like or trust police, but was willing to provide Mr McAlpine-Talbot with information confidentially.

He also wrote that the source had contacted him on the same day they were released from custody, stating that they were innocent of the murder and requesting to meet to provide information.

Mr McAlpine-Talbot said he met with the source briefly and that he was told a “major drug importer” was planning to bring a container in through the docks that month and a boat in early 2024.

The defendant also requested to speak with Mr Astwood regarding a “sensitive matter”.

While Mr Astwood said he would organise a meeting, he told the court he did not intend to actually have the meeting because he was aware that an investigation into Mr McAlpine-Talbot was already under way.

He said: “I did not want to meet with him because I didn’t want to muddy the waters with what was going on.”

Under re-examination by Cindy Clarke, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Astwood said the intelligence the defendant provided regarding drug importation did not involve anyone charged before the courts.

He also said that at no point did he authorise Mr McAlpine-Talbot become part of a conspiracy to import or supply of drugs, guns or ammunition as part of any investigation.

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