A decision in Michael Pond's Supreme Court drugs retrial could be reached today after the jury receives its instructions from Puisne Judge Richard Ground.

Pond, 29, of Friswell's Hill, Pembroke is facing one count of possessing 527 pounds of cannabis with intent to supply on March 22, 1994.

Last year he was acquitted of importing the drugs that were concealed in 15 boxes of fruit juice and syrup. The defence rested its case yesterday after Pond spent most of the afternoon on the stand.

He admitted that he was wrong when he lied to Police during an interview, but he said he felt he had been set up.

Pond told Police that he was to receive $500 for picking up boxes to be delivered to Orien Tuzo's Boundary Lane home.

But he later admitted that this was a lie which he told to distance himself from Tuzo.

"I told them I worked for Mel Lewis so that they would see me as just a helper,'' Pond said. "I have not been in this kind of trouble before and I was just scared.

"They (Police) told me that since I had signed the Bill of Entry that I could be charged as well.'' Pond also admitted that he lied when he initially told Police that Lewis, who drove the truck to the airport to pick up the boxes, was the one who had the paperwork.

And it was Lewis who came to Pond's home because he needed a helper. In a second Police interview, Pond admitted that Lewis was not the one with the documents because Tuzo had given them to him on the morning of March 22, 1994.

Moreover, Pond also said he did not know who the consignee, Karen Tuzo, was but later he admitted that he did know her because she was Orien Tuzo's wife.

The 15 boxes of fruit juice and syrup had arrived on an Air Canada flight from Jamaica on March 21, 1994.

Pond said that Orien Tuzo then worked at Gosling's and he wanted the boxes picked up and delivered to his Boundary Lane, St. George's home and placed in the basement.

The next morning, March 22, 1994, Pond went to the airport with Lewis to collect the boxes but he was told to come back around 2.30 p.m. When he did so he was arrested because Police had been summoned.

On a routine inspection, a customs officer discovered that some of the juice cans, that were destined for jeweller Astwood Dickinson, contained the drugs.

Pond had signed the forms for the goods and these documents were handed over to the Police.

Charlene Scott is representing the Crown while Tim Marshall and Kim Wilson appear for the accused.