Two Bermudians yesterday denied planning to murder five men ? including three Policemen.

Kenneth Sinclair Durrant, 53, of Ord Road, Warwick and one-time Works and Engineering employee Javon Ernest Gardner, 27, of Crossfield Lane, Sandys pleaded not guilty to conspiring with Vernon Berkley to kill Det. Sgt. Arthur Glasford, Det. Con. Terry Trott and Det. Con. Llewellyn Edwards, in Bermuda and elsewhere, on or before November 29, 2004.

Durrant and Gardner also pleaded not guilty to conspiring with Mr. Berkley to murder bouncer and boxer Sharrieff Wales and Dion Ford on the same date.

In addition, the pair denied attempting to pervert the course of justice on or before November 29.

If found guilty of conspiracy to murder the maximum sentence would be life.

Durrant and Gardner are both being held in custody.

The last time Durrant and Gardner appeared in court together on October 22, Bermuda?s Chief Justice Richard Ground rejected an application by the prosecution that the trial date be postponed until Vernon Eugenie Berkley, 56, of Wilmington, St. Thomas was extradited from Jamaica.

Berkley faces identical charges and will be tried separately, once he arrives on the Island.

Yesterday, a nine woman, three man jury was selected for a Supreme Court trial which is expected to last three weeks.

Before the jurors were selected, they were asked if they knew any of the two defendants, five alleged victims or 27 prosecution witnesses.

The court?s records showed Durrant was represented by defence lawyer Craig Attridge, however, UK barrister John Perry QC also appeared for the defence.

Mr. Perry QC has appeared in Bermuda?s courts several times, including the September trial of George (Messy) Liburd who was convicted of murdering Chena Trott in 2002, and the 2004 trial of Karim Salahuddin who was found guilty of murdering his six-month-old daughter.

Both men were sent to prison for life.

Gardner was represented by Victoria Pearman.

Senior Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney and crown counsel Cindy Clarke are prosecuting the case before Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves.

The same judge and prosecutors appeared in the Wellington Oval case that found three men guilty of attempted murder.

Defence lawyer Charles Richardson also appeared in court in the afternoon.

When Gardner appeared in Magistrates? Court for another matter on December 16, 2004, several armed Police Officers surrounded the court in response to a ?specific threat?.

However, a Police spokesman did not state what it was.

The trial continues today.