A 27-year-old German national was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday for importing cocaine and cannabis resin to Bermuda.

Jamie Edward Cox, of Altenkessel, Germany denied four charges of importation and possession with intent to supply of cocaine and cannabis, but a jury found him not guilty of the possession charges and guilty of the two importation charges.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons said Cox was entitled to be treated as an ?accidental importer? because the jury was satisfied that he was on his way to England via Bermuda.

She added that the jury was also satisfied with the events that unfolded in Jamaica and sentenced Cox to four years for importing cocaine and two years for importing cannabis resin, to run concurrently.

During the October trial, the court heard that Cox was forced at gunpoint to swallow 66 pellets containing a total of 150 grams of cannabis resin and 361 grams of cocaine, by a gang of men he met while visiting his sick daughter in Jamaica.

Coxtestified earlier in the trial that he did not know that the pellets contained drugs, which were later analysed to be worth $125,750.

The incident happened in July, 2003.

Yesterday, a hearing ordered by the court took place before the sentencing in order for the defence to cross-examine Government analyst Dr. Desiree Allen regarding the drug testing she completed on the drugs found inside Cox.

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearman established that not all the pellets containing drugs were conclusively tested.

However, Dr. Allen said that the same conclusion would be reached although all the pellets were not tested.

Ms Pearman asked if the best way to be sure that each pellet contained a drug was to test each one conclusively.

Dr. Allen agreed but said: ?The methods we use are still acceptable.?

Ms Pearman told the court that it was the responsibility of the prosecution to satisfy the court so that it feels sure that the amount of drugs tendered in evidence was in fact the correct amount.

?The only way they can do that is to conclusively test everything,? she said.

Ms Pearman also pointed out that two pellets were found in Cox?s body that contained no drugs at all, raising questions about whether or not there were more empty pellets that were in the bunch not conclusively tested.

Mrs. Justice Simmons said she was satisfied with Dr. Allen?s findings and that she was satisfied that the method employed was reliable.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister asked the court to impose a sentence of between eight and ten years.

But Ms Pearman said this was not a case where the court has to protect the community from her client.

She said it did not call for a deterrent sentence.

She added that her client had no intention of supplying the drugs anywhere and was taking them to England to hand over to authorities and to get help with getting his daughter out of Jamaica.

Cox gave his sincere apologies to Bermuda and the court and said: ?It was never my intention to carry the pellets to Bermuda or anywhere else. It was imposed upon me against my will.?

Mr. Bannister said the Crown intends to appeal the four-year sentence which he called ?manifestly inadequate?.