Spanish police testify in cocaine trial

SPANISH police testified in Cork that they detained the Lucky Day yacht and arrested the two crewmen on board four days after €440 million worth of cocaine was discovered off the coast of west Cork.

The jury was told that there was a ban on publicising the names of the two Spanish officers who could only be identified by their officer identification numbers.

Judge Sean O’Donnabhain told them that the reason for this had nothing to do with the trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court but was to do with Spanish law.

Officer 77385 stated that the Lucky Day was detained at La Coruna in Spain on July 6, 2007.

He said that the crewman with whom he dealt was not interviewed and only made a statement through his solicitor, effectively consisting of a statement that he would not be making a statement.

The second officer, identified as 90107, was asked by defence senior counsel Padraig Dwyer for defendant, Martin Wanden, if forensic examination of the boat yielded any evidence that the boat carried 1,500kg of cocaine in Hessian sacks and he said it did not.

Three Englishmen, Perry Wharrie, 48, of 60 Pyrles Lane, Essex, England; Martin Wanden, 45, of no fixed abode; and Joseph Daly, 41 from 9 Carrisbrook Avenue, Bexley, Kent, all deny the charges of possessing cocaine, possessing it with intent to sell or supply, and having it for sale or supply when its street value exceeded €13,000 on July 2, 2007 at Dunlough Bay, Mizen, Goleen, Co Cork.

Their lawyers indicated to the jury following some legal discussion in the jury’s absence that they were prepared to concede that the three defendants had been lawfully arrested, lawfully detained, their rights were complied with during detention and the period of detention was extended in accordance with regulations. The jury was told these four concessions related to arrest and detention would save some time in the trial.