conviction of a Hamilton Parish man, a Supreme Court jury was told yesterday.

Crown counsel Peter Eccles was speaking during his summation to the jury in the third day of the drugs trial of Richard Ricardo Steede.

The seven women, five men are likely to consider a decision today after the Chief Justice Austin Ward gives his directions.

Steede, 37, of 12 Kitty's Lane, denies possession of crack cocaine intended for supply, possession of cannabis, drug equipment, and obstruction.

Steede admits using offensive words during the search in which officers sawed open a sewage pipe leading to a cesspit after hearing a toilet filling.

Defence lawyer Richard Hector challenged the Police investigation, focusing on whether $3,000 worth of drugs found in the pipe came from Steede's apartment around 1 p.m. on August 17.

Mr. Hector asked why Police did not test the toilet flushing system in Steede's apartment to see how long it took for solid matter to reach a sump inches away from the pit.

He said: "Why haven't they produced someone who would take the stand and say `I examined the pipes and it can take the stuff a half hour to reach the sump'?'' Steede's lone witness, his friend and the building's plumber, Ricky Trimm, explained plumbing systems worked by gravity and repeated flushings eventually pushed waste matter to a cesspit.

Steede told the jury he had just finished rolling and smoking a "splif'' in his kitchen when he went to take a shower.

He heard noises and glass breaking and hid in the shower. Steede also said that he had wanted to see objects Police "claimed they were finding'' in the pipe when he was roughed up.

He denied he was trying to kick a Policewoman as she reached into a four inch plastic pipe to retrieve a package visible through a vent.

And under questioning by Mr. Hector, Steede said he believed several other tenants were at home in the five apartment building and flushed their toilets while Police were on the property.

At one point Mr. Eccles challenged whether Mr. Hector could ask the whereabouts of Crown witness John Hollis Jr. -- Steede's brother.

Hollis is serving time for unrelated drugs offences. On Tuesday, Mr. Eccles read in Hollis' statement that he nor his children flushed their toilet that day.

Steede claimed Police kept him away from seeing the drugs in place by forcing him against a wall and jamming his arm in the air.

"I put back pressure (on Police) to ease my head from off the wall,'' Steede told Mr. Hector. "After that they started punching me, that's how I got a cut to my head.'' He added: "I was not trying to hit out at anybody. If I had tried to kick her why would that lady (P.c. Jurine Smith) come and treat my injuries?'' During his summation, Mr. Eccles pointed to differences in the more than six Police officers' evidence, but kept repeating "but so what, that does not make much difference''.

He told the jury they must use their common sense and imagine Steede grabbing drugs from the kitchen counter and running to the toilet and flushing while Police gained access.

"Does his story work, does it make sense?'' Mr. Eccles asked. "Does it add up? Putting aside some minor differences, there is only one rational explanation of the events of August 17. Guilt.''