A verdict is expected today in the case of alleged drug smuggler Dean Minors.

Yesterday, Crown counsel Vinette Graham Allen and John Perry Q.C., delivered closing speeches to the jurors.

Mr. Perry told the jury there were too many “obvious” inconsistencies in the case and that Minors' fate was in their hands.

Minors, 32, has denied charges of importation with intent to supply cannabis on January 1, 2001.

He was arrested coming into the Island with a box containing wooden dresser drawer panels stuffed with ten bags of cannabis.

He alleged that the box belonged to his long time friend Greg Foggo.

Both were in Orlando, Florida around the same time.

“You have an indictment to make - he faces two charges of possession and importation,” Mr. Perry said. “He is facing serious charges, he is in your hands. What is his response to those allegations - his response is that he did not know, nor did he suspect, or have reason to suspect that there were drugs in that box.

“He was going through the normal exercise of going to the US, and he brought back a box for his friend, Greg Foggo, because he had excess luggage - and the box was found to have drugs in it. But he assisted the Police immediately and he gave consistent answers to their questions.”

Mr. Perry continued: “He was willing to do a controlled delivery. So, why wasn't it done? It's a question that is crying out to be answered. Is the idea that Greg Foggo is behind all of this so far fetched? What would have happened if Greg Foggo would have picked up that box? If that had been done, it well might be that you wouldn't be here wasting your time trying this defendant.”

Mr. Perry reminded the jury about the phone records showing several calls made from Mr. Foggo's phone to Minors' home, his parents' home and to Minors' girlfriend's home in Orlando in the wake of his arrest on January 1.

“What interest does Greg Foggo have in Dean, but for that box,” Mr. Perry said. “It's quite clear - why is he so anxious? It's early in the morning when he returns Dean's mother's call and makes the call to Deans girlfriend's house. He is trying to find out if Dean left Orlando. Is this a man who knows something? This is a case of a man who knows something went wrong and he is anxious. Greg Foggo did make the call (to find that box). And plainly the Police suspected Foggo, because they arrested him.” He also told the jury to scrutinise the Police investigation of the case and why they did not follow through armed with the knowledge that the dresser drawer was purchased in Alabama.

He said that Herbie Bascome was in Alabama during the time of the events.

“I seek no favours, I only ask that justice be done,” Mr. Perry said. “What you have heard points to one conclusion - you cannot be sure that this defendant knew what was in that box. If that's the case you have to acquit. His life is in your hands - do justice and set him free.”

But Ms Graham Allen countered saying that Minors was deceptive in his actions from the beginning.

And she said that knowledge of what was in the box was the only thing that the jury needed to be concerned about.

She suggested that the defence implicating Mr. Foggo and Mr. Bascome was a ploy to confuse them.

“The knowledge that cannabis was in that box is the determining factor,” she said. “I told you that it is for you to determine whether he knew, suspected or had reason to suspect that drugs were in the box.”

In her argument, she pointed out that Minors declared on his Customs form the box was a bookcase not a dresser drawer, the fact that he was trying to deceive authorities by putting an old Orlando address on his Immigration form and that he met Mr. Foggo late at night in a parking lot to pick up the box.

All, she suggested, point to the “defendant's questionable character”.

“Come let's look at this man of good character - let's look carefully and see if we can trust what he says. Why did he write an address from five years ago, was he trying to deceive the Police? He did not own up to the box until he was confronted. He goes to a convenience store at 11 p.m. on December 29, 2000 to pick up this box - according to his story, Greg Foggo never told him what was in the box. He had the box in his possession for two days.

“And why did he declare it as a bookcase? He said he knew the difference between a bookcase and a dresser drawer. Was he trying to deceive the Customs Officers - he's a teacher, bringing in school supplies - he thought that if he said yes that the box belonged to him, that it would not get searched. These are questions that you must ask yourself.”

She said that it was up to the jurors to decide whether the Customs Officers were lying or whether Minors was not forthcoming saying, “I'll leave that to your consideration.”