The Tribune

A MAN on trial with Stephen “Die” Stubbs and two others in connection with a $6 million drug seizure claimed he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when police arrested him.

Selva Rudolph Hudson, 57, of Sisal Avenue yesterday told the court he was making a pass in bushes on a cay off Exuma before he was approached by officers.

Hudson, who denied knowing his three co-accused, Stubbs, 37, of Ridgeland Park, Dion Minnis, 38, and David Arlington Colebrooke, 51,  is on trial before Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell in connection with the September 2009 major drug seizure in Exuma in 2009.

It is claimed that he conspired with his co-defendants between September 5 and 30, 2009, to import and possess dangerous drugs in Scott’s Creek, Williams Town, Exuma, with intent to supply.

Up to yesterday trial evidence revealed that the 3,935 pounds of marijuana came from Jamaica and was dropped off in Williams Town.

According to testimony, Colebrooke, who was out on bail, but is now on the run, had taken a boat into Nassau where police were waiting to arrest him, having used wire tap methods to catch the alleged drug dealer in the act.

Colebrooke was reportedly meeting up with Minnis and “Die” Stubbs.

Hudson was arrested in the area of the drugs after police found a GPS (global positioning system), which had been left in the car by Colebrook after he got off the boat. The police examined the tracking system and through it were led to the drugs — $5,902,000 worth of marijuana.

Stubbs and Minnis have denied the trial evidence.

Hudson, who is on bail, took to the witness stand and told the court how he was arrested.

When asked by defending attorney Ian Cargill why he was at Scott’s Creek where he was found, the mechanic said: “Me and a friend was on our way to Long Isand.”

He said his friend dropped him off so that he could do a “no. 2” on the beach.

He said he was approached by officers reportedly looking for Jamaicans. After clarifying that he was not a Jamaican by reportedly pulling out his national insurance card, he claimed the officers started beating him.

“They just started beating me in the head.”

Hudson said shortly afterwards officers put him on the police boat in which they had arrived at the beach, took him around the cove onto the other side of the creek where many bags were discovered.

“How far were these bags from you when the police started to beat you and arrest you?” Mr Cargill asked.

The accused said between 50 and 100 feet.

He said officers took him to the mainland and booked him in before he was flown to Nassau to be booked in at the Airport police station.

However, it did not happened, he said, because he was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital due to the brutality he had suffered at the hands of the police.

Mr Cargill asked the accused to clarify for the record what he meant by “no.2” and he said he was “stooling.”

In cross-examination, the prosecutor suggested to Hudson that when he saw police approaching the beach in a boat, he tried to hide in bushes by stooping down.

“No, sir,” Hudson answered.

The prosecutor further suggested that he was on the beach with two other men. Hudson also denied this.

The accused was asked about the occupation of the “friend” who dropped him off on the beach and Hudson said he “worked on farms.”

The prosecutor asked if he was also a fisherman and Hudson said: “He farms, but he go on boats too.”

Hudson denied the suggestion that Hudson had dropped him and two others off at Exuma. He also denied running away from police and that his injuries came from falling on rocks.

The prosecutor suggested that he was in possession of a firearm to guard the drugs on the beach.

“I never hold no gun,” he said. On re-examination he clarified that he knew the nickname of his co-accused because it was said in court.