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Million-pound drugs trial fails Million-pound drugs trial fails
(about 2 hours later)
A multi-million pound drugs trial based on the evidence of a supergrass has collapsed at the Old Bailey. Eleven men have walked free after a multi-million pound investigation into an alleged cocaine ring collapsed.
The prosecution offered no evidence against seven men due to stand trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine. On Monday, prosecutors at the Old Bailey offered no evidence against seven men due to stand trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Paul Collings, Alexander Duarte, Terence Wilmot, William Cuervo, Dean White, Jarnail Singh and Ivan Alvardo Chica were formally found not guilty. Supergrass Juan Lopez was to be the key prosecution witness.
At an earlier trial based on evidence from the same informant, the jury acquitted three men. At an earlier trial, also based on Lopez's evidence, the jury acquitted three men and could not decide on a fourth man. A fifth man pleaded guilty.
The international police investigation is estimated to have cost many millions of pounds. In April 2005, Lopez walked into a London police station to admit his role in an international drugs ring.
It was launched after Colombian supergrass Juan Evangelista Narvaez Lopez walked into a London police station in April 2005 to admit his role in an international drugs ring. He admitted to large-scale cocaine dealing over seven years and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
This shows the perils of relying so heavily on the evidence of a supergrass without any other corroborative evidence Richard AtterburySolicitor
But a jury in the first trial refused to believe multi-million deals had taken place between Britain, Spain, Jamaica and Colombia and cleared three men of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
They were Alan Richardson, 44, of Rotherhithe, south London, Martin Schofield, 47, of no fixed address, and Darren Taylor, 37, of Bromley, Kent.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on Ford Sexton, 51, of Maidstone, Kent. On Monday, a judge decided he would not face a retrial and should be formally cleared.
Nicholas Johnson, 37, from Bromley, Kent, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to supply drugs and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
In the latest court hearing, Paul Collins, 39, of Borough Green, Kent, Alexander Duarte, 36, of East Ham, east London, Terence Wilmot, 34, of Edmonton, north London, and William Cuervo, 42, of Wembley, north London, were formally found not guilty.
Dean White, 41, of Harlesden, north-west London, Jarnail Singh, 29, of East Ham, east London, and Ivan Alvardo Chica, of Stockwell, south London, were also formally cleared.
On a separate count of conspiracy to kidnap, Mr Johnson, Mr Sexton and Dwight Peterson, 37, of Lewisham, south London, were also formally cleared.
Solicitor Richard Atterbury, representing Dean White, said: "This shows the perils of relying so heavily on the evidence of a supergrass without any other corroborative evidence."Solicitor Richard Atterbury, representing Dean White, said: "This shows the perils of relying so heavily on the evidence of a supergrass without any other corroborative evidence."
In the first of the two intended trials, Alan Richardson, Martin Schofield and Darren Taylor were acquitted. But detectives said they believed the investigation triggered by Lopez's information had been a success, having secured 25 convictions.
The jury though was unable to reach a verdict on Ford Sexton. Nicholas Johnson pleaded guilty. They had seized 507lb (230kg) of cocaine, 110lb (50kg) of heroin and 157lb (71kg) of amphetamines - with a street value of several million pounds in total.
The judge at the latest hearing said Mr Sexton was also to be formerly found not guilty. It is understood Mr Johnson will make an application to the judge over his plea.