A Briton accused of importing almost $500,000 worth of heroin into the Island told a Supreme Court jury he had no idea he was carrying the drugs.

Martin Cashman, 50, took the stand yesterday and told the five man, seven woman jury, he had neither known, suspected or had reason to believe he was carrying drugs in an envelope given to him by a family friend.

Cashman is charged with importation of diamorphine, or heroin, and possession with intent to supply the drug when he arrived at Bermuda International Airport on a British Airways flight on October 5.

In testimony yesterday Cashman repeated claims he made to Police after his arrest that he was given a Manila envelope containing 16 laminated prints by family friend Norman Fraser on the morning of his flight.

He said Mr. Fraser then told him he would not be travelling with him as planned because he had to travel to Ireland to deal with a family matter.

Cashman said he took out the pictures and ?shuffled them one behind the other?.

Crown counsel Vinette Graham-Allen asked: ?How did the pictures feel??

?Like pictures ? how pictures feel,? Cashman replied.

In court, Cashman pointed out a row of punched holes that lined one side of the laminated prints noting that it was unusual.

The drugs discovered in the 16 pictures amounted to 498.31 grams of heroin laced with diazepam, or Valium.

Cashman said Mr. Fraser had asked him to give the souvenir pictures to the children of the family that would pick him up from Brightside Guest Apartments where he was told reservations had been made for him. It was later discovered that no reservation had been made.

Cashman admitted that he was never given the name, address, telephone number or description of any of the people that were meant to collect him from the guest house.

He also said he has no previous convictions and had never been arrested before arriving in Bermuda.

And he described Mr. Fraser as a ?physical fitness freak?, who never drank alcohol, tea or coffee.

The court also heard yesterday how Cashman was searched by Customs and Police following his arrest.

Cashman disputed that Detective Constable David Bhagwan ever asked him whether he had packages or gifts to give anyone in Bermuda in his luggage.

?I?m suggesting that when you were asked (by Det. Con. Bhagwan) what the purpose of your trip was you replied ?I am here for the Jazz Festival and my friends will be arriving tonight?,? Ms Graham-Allen asked.

The defendant said he never said that ?friends? were coming to meet him. In court earlier he said Mr. Fraser was going to meet him in Bermuda in a few days.

Ms Graham-Allen asked the defendant whether he believed the Police were lying.

?No, it is a misrepresentation of words taken out of context,? Cashman said.

The case, before Assistant Justice Archibald Warner, will continue tomorrow with closing arguments from Ms Graham-Allen and defence lawyer Richard Hector.