A man who sat on a bed and watched Police uncover a stash of drugs worth more than $80,000 in a bedroom closet tried to run away with the evidence and, when he was re-captured by officers, told them ?I can?t get locked up,? a court has heard.

Deon Eugene Bassett has denied having cocaine worth $81,895 and cannabis worth $1,975 with intent to supply and two further charges of having a set of scales used in the weighing of controlled drugs and of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The Supreme Court has been told that an address in Cherry Dale Drive, Smith?s Parish, was searched on November 9, 2004 by narcotics officers in the presence of Bassett, 27.

In a closet was discovered a bag containing 39.47 grams of cannabis, another bag with 284.82 grams of cocaine, and a set of scales which had traces of both drugs on it.

Giving evidence Detective Constable Roger Saints said he had placed the items in a Police evidence bag and put it on a table near the door of the basement apartment while officers carried out a further search outside the building.

Det. Con. Saints said he was three or four feet from the table along with a number of other officers and Bassett, who had been handcuffed.

The court heard that, without warning, Bassett grabbed the bag and ran across a lawn and down a steep, wooded area where he was caught by three pursuing officers who restrained him following a violent struggle and recovered the evidence bag.

When Bassett was restrained he was asked why he had run and Det. Con. Saints said he replied: ?I had too. I can?t get locked up.?

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearman told the court that, when Bassett was taken to Hamilton police station after the incident his left eye had pronounced swelling, there was a one centimetre gash to his forehead and an abrasion to his left cheek. Bassett went to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and received stitches to the cut on his forehead.

In cross-examination of Det. Con. Saints, Ms Pearman said: ?I?m going to suggest that the evidence in which you say Bassett said ?I had too. I couldn?t get locked up? is something he never said and that he never ran away.

?I?m saying this story was created by the narcotics team to explain how the defendant ended up bleeding from his head.?

Det. Con. Saints said that was not so and his account of the events, which were the same as those given earlier in the trial by Det. Con Allan Meiguel, were correct.

The court has heard that earlier the same day the Police team, along with Bassett, had visited properties at Spring Benny Road, Sandys, and two more in Southampton and Devonshire, which were connected with Bassett before going to the studio apartment in Smith?s where the drugs were discovered.

The case continues.