Jurors in drugs trial retire to deliberate

Jurors in the trial of a man charged with trafficking in cocaine and heroin in 1997 and 1998 were still deliberating by the time of going to press last night.

Stanley Chircop, 38, of Fgura, who admitted to having been a cocaine addict but had now managed to kick the habit, took the witness stand to insist he was not a drug trafficker. He is a reformed drug user who has put his past behind him, according to his lawyer Joe Brincat.

The court heard lawyer Aaron Bugeja, from the Attorney General's Office, say that all the witnesses for the prosecution had pointed their finger at Mr Chircop, adding that they had all bought cocaine from the accused.

Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo, who is presiding over the trial by jury, which began on Monday, started summing up the case on Wednesday afternoon when he explained a number of points of law to the jurors and details of the case.

Jurors retired to deliberate at about 5 p.m. yesterday and had not returned a verdict by the time of going to press.