Lawyer, justice of the peace square off in court

Tempers f lare in multi-million dollar cocaine case

WESTERN BUREAU: ATTORNEY-AT-LAW DIONNE Meyler and a justice of the peace (JP) exchanged heated words in the St James Parish Court yesterday as the trial of the two men who were held in a Guardsman security vehicle with 66 kilograms of cocaine in 2013 begins to take shape.

Meyler, who is representing Owen Glaze, who was arrested and charged alongside Andrew Brown, had a testy exchange with Justice of the Peace Lennox Wallace, who was giving evidence about a caution statement Glaze had signed while in the custody of the police on April 21, 2013.

The statement in question was signed one day after Glaze and Brown, who were reportedly travelling in a marked security vehicle along the Mt Carey main road in St James, were taken into custody by the police following the seizure of the cocaine, which was valued at $264 million.

“I asked him (Glaze) if he was aware that he could seek an attorney privately or get one provided by the Government. He said he was aware,” Wallace told the court in his evidence-in-chief.

“Did you at any time tell Mr Glaze that he had the right to remain silent?” attorney Meyler asked Wallace during her crossexamination. “I did not,” said Wallace. “I put it to you that you never advised Mr Glaze of his right to an attorney,” said Meyler.

“That is not true,” replied Wallace sternly, seemingly annoyed by the suggestion.