cocaine smuggling ring was that of a "little gofer'', defence lawyer Mr.

Archie Warner told a Supreme Court jury yesterday.

In his final address, he submitted the only time his client was involved in the conspiracy was when he did some "petty peddling'' for his roommate Dexter Dillas.

"He was not one of the big guys as the Crown is alleging,'' Mr. Warner said.

But prosecutor Mr. Diarmuid Doorly told jurors: "It was a filthy business and the Crown is certainly not here to set up some pantomime to convince you that some nobody -- or little gopher, as the defence would have you believe -- was part of a serious enterprise to bring in massive quantities of cocaine into the Island.

"It is quite clear it is not the Crown's case that Larry Ebbin was a small-time drug peddler who only sold a few $25 bags of cocaine.'' Mr. Doorly went on to say in his brief half-hour final submission that Ebbin's entire testimony was "nothing more than lies''.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating late on Monday after Puisne Judge the Hon. Mrs. Justice Wade has directed them on the evidence.

Ebbin, 35, has denied importing cocaine between May 11 and May 20 of 1990 and conspiring to import the drug between October 1988 and May 17, 1990 with others not before the court.

He was arrested on May 18, 1990 during a drug raid on the Southampton apartment he shared with Dillas, now serving 18 years for his role in the Miami-based drug ring.

The Cuban ring's "man in Bermuda'', Antonio Miranda, has testified he sold half of some 11 kilos of cocaine to Ebbin at his apartment and sometimes at a beach club.

Mr. Warner, who took some three hours to deliver his final address, called prosecution witnesses Angela Trapasso, Victor Alongi and Antonio Miranda -- all drug couriers in the conspiracy -- "flaky, unbelievable characters''.

"They were three criminals who all had great inducement to lie,'' he said.

Mr. Warner charged the three drug runners had lied on the stand in order to implicate Ebbin so they would get reduced sentences. "Deals were cut,'' he submitted.

But Mr. Doorly denied any deals were made and said he was not going to apologise to the court for bringing people with lengthy criminal records to court to testify.

"We are dealing with a secret, murky and dirty world where the Crown was lucky enough to find people involved in the heart of the criminal organisation. It was our duty to bring them into Court to spill the beans, so to speak.'' He said so-called "super grasses'' were possibly the most effective weapon police had in cracking drug smuggling rings.

Mr. Doorly questioned how Ebbin could have lived with such a "boastful'' man as Dillas for two years without knowing he was a cocaine importer and distributor.

He reminded jurors Ebbin had testified he was "stunned'' when he found out Dillas was buying and selling large amounts of cocaine.

"Is that for one instance a believable statement?,'' he asked jurors. And he said that if Dillas denied knowing nearly all the major players in the local end of the conspiracy, then it was "quite incredible'' why he had pleaded guilty in his retrial last October.

But Mr. Warner said Dillas was not on trial and urged the jury to consider only the evidence which related to his client.

He said while there was "some'' evidence against other alleged members of the conspiracy, there was no evidence Ebbin conspired to import cocaine or imported cocaine to Bermuda.

"Attempts were made over and over to sensationalise this case...,'' he said.

"There is no doubt this case was a controversial one. There were numerous stories bantered about. They are not evidence in this case though, and you should disregard anything you might have read in the newspapers or seen on TV.'' He said while Ebbin has admitted he sold cocaine, he was not charged with peddling or drugs possession.

Mr. Warner conceded there was no doubt large amounts of cocaine had been brought into the Island and that the Cuban drug cartel responsible had been involved in some sordid dealings.

But he said jurors should not find Ebbin guilty by association. He added that none of the damning tape of Dillas bragging about his dealings with the drug empire, and naming all the couriers who came to Bermuda, was evidence.

His name had not been mentioned in the tape excerpts that jurors heard, Mr.

Warner pointed out.

Before lawyers began their final submissions, the tape was played for Dillas to see if he could recognise his voice on it.

Dillas has denied or said he could not recall making any of the recorded statements put to him by Mr. Doorly under cross examination.

After hearing the tape, made by former cellmate Julian Roberts, Dillas again insisted he did not recognise his voice nor Roberts'.