A man facing drugs charges had his $50,000 bail downgraded to $5,000 yesterday, despite having previously been described as a high flight risk.

Magistrates' Court heard on an earlier occasion that Kenith Clifton (Ethan) Bulford, 35, purchased tickets to France and attempted to leave the Island while on Police bail. He's facing allegations that he had five pieces of pipe for cocaine use and permitted his Sandys home to be used for the use of a controlled drug which he denies.

Arguing during Bulford's initial court hearing last month that he should not be given bail, prosecutor Robert Welling said Police found a safe during a raid at his house last October which contained $57,450 worth of goods. These included three passports, three birth certificates, a box containing two gold bars, a plastic bag containing diamonds and other gold items, as well as a large bundle of US and Bermuda cash currency.

Mr. Welling argued that the cash and gold demonstrate Bulford to be a "man of means" and therefore easily able to get away from Bermuda. He also claimed the defendant is a high flight risk and has "no intent on facing evidence in this case". Bulford denied he'd been trying to flee the country, saying he was just taking a vacation.

On that occasion, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner granted Bulford bail of $50,000 with one surety and ordered him to surrender all his travel documents including birth certificates. He was also ordered to report daily to Somerset Police Station and his trial date was fixed for yesterday.

However, Magistrates' Court was busy dealing with other matters yesterday, so Acting Magistrate Edward Bailey adjourned the trial until December 15. Bulford was unrepresented during the last hearing, but yesterday he was represented by Saul Froomkin QC. Mr. Froomkin complained that Bulford has been behind bars due to being unable to meet the sum of his $50,000 bail with one surety.

Mr. Froomkin told Mr. Bailey: "I'm asking that bail be set in a rational amount. The defendant's already spent two weeks in jail which is more than he would spend if he was convicted. I'm asking for a surety of $5,000 and he can deposit his passport. Apparently the Senior Magistrate was concerned because the defendant had booked a holiday, which he had not had for a long time, and that set all sorts of bells ringing. There's no need for that."

Prosecutor Cindy Clarke said she did not have a problem with $5,000 bail with one surety for Bulford. Mr. Bailey agreed to this, ordering the accused man to surrender his travel documents and report daily to Somerset Police Station until his trial.