importation trial of a Hamilton Parish couple.

Shadonna Kelly Trott, 20 and Tyrone Calvin Simmons, 27, are accused of importing heroin in oversize greeting cards using the Hamilton Parish Post Office in March 1998. Both deny the charges.

This week the ten-woman two-man jury heard that Police and Customs intercepted three envelopes containing hidden packages of heroin, and replaced the drugs with a fake substitute.

Two of the envelopes were addressed to Dwon Trott and the other to Shadonna Trott.

All three came from separate addresses in Lagos, Nigeria.

The jury also heard Police testimony that they were on their way to execute a search warrant at the Cottage Hill, Hamilton Parish residence of Shadonna Trott when they received information that someone was attempting to pick up the packages at the Post Office.

They diverted to the Post Office to see a man dressed in black leaving the premises and drive off on a motorcycle.

The officers failed in their attempts to stop him.

Later on they executed the search warrant at the Cottage Hill residence.

At issue during the week's proceedings has been a discrepancy between notes taken at the search and Police witness statement written almost a year later.

Under questioning by Trott's lawyer, Delroy Duncan, Police Sgt. Ralph Furbert, one of the officers who conducted the search admitted that his written statement was written a year later and contained a reference to a conversation that was not recorded in the notes taken at the time and signed by himself.

Sgt. Furbert first denied that he had discussed his statement with other officers, but later said that he had been reminded of the comments by a senior officer who was not at the search.

Mr. Duncan ended his cross examination of Sgt. Furbert by saying the conversation never happened "and if it did happen it would have been in the notes''.

The jury has also heard the testimony of other Police officers involved in the investigation.

Representing Simmons, Victoria Pearman questioned Police on the circumstances surrounding her client's arrest and questioning at the Hamilton Police station.

Ms Pearman sought to establish that Simmons was sick during the three and a half hour interview. Police denied the suggestion.

Police had testified that the man seen leaving the Post Office was Tyrone Simmons.

During yesterday's proceedings Ms Pearman questioned how he could have been identified when leaving the Post Office on a moving vehicle.

"You never saw my client at the Post Office. You saw somebody at the Post Office who you believe to be my client,'' suggested Ms Pearman to Det. Hatayan DeSilva.

Det DeSilva insisted it was Simmons but later agreed with Ms Pearman's suggestion that it would have been difficult to make out specific features given the distance involved.

The trial continues today.

POLICE POL