Witness in drug deal trial charged with perjury

Gregory Eyre, the drug mule who last Monday radically changed his testimony in the trial of a drug supplier, was yesterday charged with perjury.

Mr Eyre had originally testified in the Magistrates' Court in 2003 that Mark Stephens, who on Wednesday was jailed for 25 years after being found guilty of being a drug supplier in a 2003 deal, had given him more than three kilogrammes of cocaine and 7,100 ecstasy pills to import into Malta. However, on Monday Mr Eyre said in Mr Stephens's trial by jury that another man, a certain Andrew Woodhouse also known as Mark Stephens, had given him the drugs.

When testifying just after Mr Eyre, Mr Stephens denied ever supplying the drugs and placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Mr Woodhouse.

Mr Eyre had been jailed for 15 years in 2003 after he admitted to importing drugs. His original testimony secured Mr Stephens's arrest in Spain. Even after hearing Mr Eyre change his testimony, jurors on Wednesday returned a guilty verdict, seven to two, against Mr Stephens who was jailed for 25 years and fined €60,000.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono had warned Mr Eyre of the consequences he faced when he changed his testimony, pointing out that he could be in for a maximum of life imprisonment.

Yesterday, he denied making a false oath and relapsing.

During yesterday's arraignment, Magistrate Anthony Vella told defence lawyer Martin Fenech that, since Mr Eyre is already in prison he could not benefit from bail, to which Mr Eyre replied: "Then maybe you can deport me".

Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara prosecuted.