see if an appeal against a 14-year jail term for importing $243,000 of cocaine to Bermuda is successful.

The Court of Appeal under Sir James Astwood reserved judgement until next week in the case of Omar Peyton, 32.

Barrister Elizabeth Christopher presented several hours of evidence in an appeal by Peyton, of Brooklyn, New York, against both conviction and sentence.

Among the ten grounds of appeal were that Supreme Court Chief Justice Austin Ward failed to give good directions to the jury on the defendant's good character.

She added that he also failed to insist that Det. Cons. Rudolph Richardson be called to give evidence. At a second trial in July last year, Peyton claimed he admitted to carrying drugs and being paid $1000 to do so because of pressure from the Police officer.

Ms Christopher also argued that evidence led at the retrial of a previous visit by Peyton to Bermuda was prejudicial to his defence.

In December, 1996, a jury was unable to reach a verdict after more than four hours of deliberation.

The former US Army soldier and son of a churchman was stopped at the Airport in May, 1996, by Customs officers.

A Supreme Court jury found that Peyton had carried two bags of cocaine hidden inside two containers of baby powder.