Lucien Smith (in picture) walked away from the Magistrate's Court a free man on April 16, 2015 after a no-case submission presented by his attorney Patrick Thompson the day before was upheld by the sitting Magistrate. Photo: VINO

Magistrate Ayana Baptiste DaBreo is likely to give her ruling on the no case submission tomorrow April 16, 2015. Photo:VINO/File

The no-case submission was made by defence attorney Patrick Thompson yesterday April 15, 2015.

"On the ground of lack of evidence I cannot convict Smith...," said Magistrate DaBreo. "Sir you are free to go," she told Smith.

The case against Violet 'Letty' Hodge continued and the date given for a decision is May 27, 2015.

See previous story published April 15, 2015

'Evidence against Smith circumstantial' - Patrick Thompson 

- Thompson makes no-case submission on behalf of Smith; Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany R. Scatliffe said there is a connection & that Smith has a case to answer to

Defence attorney for Lucien Smith, Patrick Thompson, has submitted that there is no case against his client and that all of the evidence presented by the Crown so far is circumstantial.

He was speaking today, April 15, 2015 in the Magistrate's Court while making a no-case submission in the ongoing trial of Lucien Smith and Violet 'Letty' Hodge on charges of conspiracy to import drugs into the territory.

"There must be agreement on Mr Smith's part to take part in a conspiracy," he said. "If that evidence is not there then there is nothing for us to go on to," he argued.

Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany R. Scatliffe, arguing for the Crown, said there needs not to be contact among all of the players provided they each have the common purpose of allegedly seeking to import cocaine.

"Yes I agree that the evidence is circumstantial but there is a connection," she argued. "He was still a part of it even though he was not a primary player," she alleged.

"It is the court's respectful submission that there is a case to answer to by Smith," she said.

Thompson earlier in his statement said that of the 29 witnesses called so far in the case, 26 of them said nothing that could amount to evidence against Mr Smith.

"The Crown's case could only be pitched on a circumstantial basis. There is no evidence which could support a conviction of Mr Smith," said Thompson.

The prosecution had submitted that Smith had allegedly purchased two engines which were found several months later in a vessel adrift at sea which they allege might have been used for drugs transhipment.

"There is no nexus to link Mr Smith to the activities of the boat," Thompson said.

Magistrate Ayana Baptiste DaBreo is likely to give her ruling on the no case submission tomorrow April 16, 2015. Following this part of the proceedings, the defence is expected to call Violet ‘Letty’ Hodge to the stand.