A defence lawyer yesterday told jurors that his client, who is facing drug trafficking and possession charges, had managed to kick the habit and that his success story was being used by a drug rehabilitation centre to help addicts following the programme.

Lawyer Joe Brincat was addressing jurors in the final phase of the trial by jury of Stanley Chircop, 38, from Fgura, who is pleading not guilty to cocaine and heroin trafficking and their possession in 1997 and 1998.

"Stanley Chircop is a reformed person and someone who is against taking drugs. In fact, his success story is being used by the rehabilitation centre who use him as an example to show their clients that there is life after drugs," Dr Brincat said.

Dr Brincat said his client admitted to the possession of cocaine and heroin, but that was all.

"No large amount of packets of drugs were ever found in his possession, so if he was a drug trafficker don't you think the police would have found some evidence on him or during any police searches in his home?" Dr Brincat asked the jurors.

He added that one of the witnesses in a previous trial was jailed for providing false testimony so his credibility was at stake.

In reply to Dr Brincat's speech for the defence, senior lawyer Aaron Bugeja, representing the Attorney General, urged the jurors to use their good judgement and reason and find Mr Chircop guilty as charged.

Dr Bugeja said that sharing cocaine is commonplace among addicts because it is an expensive habit and to spend €233 (Lm100) is as nothing. "Sharing is equivalent to trafficking. There is no need for you to be a drug baron to traffic drugs. All these witnesses used to get their drugs from Mr Chircop. None of these witnesses ever said they met Mr Chircop anywhere else except to buy drugs," he said.

Later yesterday, Mr Justice Giannino Caruana Demajo, presiding, summed up the case and explained points of law to the jurors. Their verdict is expected today.