The three co-accused were allegedly trafficking cocaine in large quantities, keeping drugs and weapons in a storage facility and driving around the city in two vehicles to sell the drugs. Our client was a friend of one of the three co-accused. While the police were conducting surveillance on the three co-accused, they saw our client meet with his friend on one occasion at a train station, and then three months later they saw them spending time together over a period of several days. This included a couple of attendances at the storage facility. The police obtained search warrants for the storage facility and the two vehicles, one of which was now in our client’s possession. A search of the storage facility revealed large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl and a number of weapons. A search of the vehicle in our client’s possession revealed a secret compartment with more drugs and a handgun. Along with the three co-accused, our client was charged with multiple firearms and drug offences, including conspiracy to traffic.
In pre-trial motions and at trial, we attacked the prosecution’s evidence and the inferences they wanted the court to draw. Ultimately, the trial judge agreed that, while the prosecution’s case might show a suspicious association between our client and his friend’s offences, the evidence was so tenuous that no reasonable jury could convict our client.
RESULT: At the end of the prosecution’s case, the judge issued a directed verdict of acquittal on all charges.