A Jamaican man accused of conspiring to import 1,557 grams of cannabis and 60.06 grams of heroin was declared a liar several times by the prosecution during his testimony in Supreme Court yesterday.

Norwegian Spirit crew member Andrew Laing, 33, denies four counts of importing the drugs — allegedly assisted by his co-worker Teeteta Iereria with whom he was in a relationship — on the ship from New York.

The Crown claims that on two occasions in August and September 2006 the pair imported cannabis, and on October 6 they imported both cannabis and heroin when the ship arrived in Dockyard.

During a heated cross-examination by Senior Crown counsel Paula Tyndale, Laing adamantly denied any role in convincing Iereria, whom he admitted to being intimate with, to smuggle the drugs into Bermuda.

Ms Tyndale claimed the pair disembarked from their ship while in New York on two occasions in September 2006 and met with a man on the street, getting into his car, where the pair exchanged shoes.

Subsequently, they wore different shoes back onto the ship that concealed drugs inside and Laing asked Iereria to keep the shoes in her cabin for safekeeping, Ms Tyndale alleged.

Ms Tyndale charged they then returned to New York at a later date and met the same man in a park, who handed them several drug packages, which Laing helped to strap onto Iereria in a bathroom.

“No! No! I had nothing to do with drugs — I’m not a drug pusher and I never told her to carry anything back to Bermuda,” Laing hotly contested yesterday.

In a separate round of questioning, he admitted to illegally staying in Bermuda for a month, but only to seek employment, saying he wanted a better life rather than working on a cruise ship, where he was concerned for his health. After squatting in a boat in Dockyard for two weeks, with roughly $400 in cash, Laing said he met Shannon Smith — whose home he was later arrested at — near a gas station, where Smith offered him accommodation.

Ms Tyndale repudiated that account and implied Laing already knew Smith when he decided to “seek employment” in Bermuda.

She depicted his rationale as peculiar — that a person would choose to illegally live in a country he did not know — and the fact Laing said he left most of his clothes and $1,400 in US cash in his suitcase aboard the ship.

The court heard earlier that on October 6, 2006, Laing was detained by Special Constable Stacey Todd, but struck the officer and pushed her away.

He made his escape, but was arrested a month later at which point he denied the alleged crimes of serious assaulting the officer and conspiring to import the drugs.

Also, on that date, the court heard that Iereria was arrested and found with drugs on her.

Earlier this week, it was stated that when Police came to arrest Laing at the home of Shannon Smith, at Whale Bay, Southampton, and officers rammed down the door and sprayed the defendant with pepper spray.

Det. Con. Leera testified that along with other officers, he had executed a search warrant at the home.

He stated that the officers had seen Laing, through a window, walk away from the door after Police identified themselves and go into the kitchen for something.

It was at this point that Police broke down the door and subdued Laing.

In cross examination of Det. Con. Leera, however, defence lawyer Mark Pettingill suggested that Laing had only gone to the kitchen to get a key for the door, from a drawer.

Mr. Pettingill said when Laing came to the door, locked by a dead-bolt, he told the detective he was going to retrieve the key as it was locked but officers rammed it down very quickly.

The detective admitted to pepper-spraying the accused, when he saw him reaching into a kitchen draw, saying he feared for his life.

A violent struggle ensued, with Laing later subdued and handcuffed, while other officers restrained the apartment’s occupier — Smith.

“Why didn’t you check the drawer to see what was in it first?” questioned Mr. Pettingill. “My main concern was subduing Mr. Laing,” replied Det. Con. Leera.

The defence rested its case and closing arguments are expected to be made today.