A member of the Bermuda national squad that qualified for the cricket World Cup has been found guilty of obstructing Police searching for drugs.

Christopher Ray Foggo, considered by many to be one of the Island's brightest young sporting talents, was found guilty by magistrates after a trial yesterday.

The 23-year-old, who has not trained with the national team since last summer, was handed a one-year conditional discharge by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner.

He was arrested after Police carried out a property check in the grounds of St. David's Cricket Club as a practice session was taking place. And, when Foggo spotted the patrol vehicle, they noticed he started acting suspiciously.

Officers drove to where the defendant was standing, and the court heard that as the officers got out of the vehicle Foggo was seen trying to hide something in his left hand.

Police approached the defendant and asked what he was holding, and the defendant replied: "Nothing."

The trial heard Foggo was told to keep his hands where they could be seen and he would be searched for drugs. But before officers were able to take the object from the defendant's hand, he threw it into some nearby bushes.

The cricketer was arrested after the incident at 7.10 p.m. on September 4, last year, and was later charged with obstructing Police. Foggo, defending himself in court, rejected evidence given by P.c. Hector Cammock. He said other people were present during the incident.

He claimed officers handcuffed him before he was told what they were searching for. And he maintained there were no bushes in the area.

The court heard Foggo, of Sofar Drive, St. George's, had no previous convictions.

Mr. Warner rejected the defendant's version of events and handed Foggo a conditional discharge. He told him it was not in the public interest to record a criminal conviction against his name. Foggo, who apologised to the court but said he was not a threat to society, said that if convicted he would not be able to travel abroad with the national team. Mr. Warner said there were responsibilities that came with being a sportsman ? and said they were "to observe and respect the law".