Jamaican Police performed a sting operation at a Kingston post office to arrest Bermudian Vernon Berkley after he collected a death threat from Bermuda.

Kenneth Sinclair Durrant, 53 of Ord Road, Warwick and Javon Ernest Gardner, 27, of Crossfield Lane, Sandys, have pleaded not guilty to conspiring with Vernon Berkley to kill Det. Sgt. Arthur Glasford, Det. Con. Terry Trott, Det. Con. Llewellyn Edwards, Sharrieff Wales and Dion Ford in Bermuda and elsewhere, on or before November 29, 2004.

In addition, the pair have denied attempting to pervert the course of justice on or before November 29.

If found guilty of conspiracy to murder the maximum sentence would be life.

?He appeared to have read the letter that was in the package and monies that appeared to be in the package also,? Det. Corporal Garfield Livingstone of the Jamaican Constabulary Force testified in Supreme Court yesterday.

He said Berkley stopped on a bench inside Kingston?s central mail sorting office ? a maximum of 18 feet away from where he was hiding ? when Police arrested him on December 14, 2004.

?The package was in Vernon Berkley?s hand before Det. Cpl. Watson took him from the post office,? Det. Cpl. Livingstone said.

Under cross-examination by Durrant?s lawyer, John Perry QC, Det. Cpl. Livingstone conceded video recorders were not used in the sting operation and that he never heard of Berkley.

He also said two girls were with Berkley at the post office. One of them was Berkley?s daughter.

Berkley was described as a man of slim build with dreadlocks, he said.

And he admitted to making a statement to Det. Con. Sylvester Augustine and Det. Sgt. Terrence Maxwell of the Bermuda Police Service on January 12 ? nearly a month after the sting operation ? without the aid of any written memoirs.

Det. Cpl. Kenroy Watson of the Jamaican Constabulary Force?s Flying Squad said he approached Mr. Berkley at the post office and escorted him to a car.

He said he would be able to recognise the letter because it contained the word ?kill?. He was then interrupted by Senior Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney.

During testimony on Monday, it was revealed that the note said ?Kill him and kill them both?.

Det. Cpl. Watson said Mr. Berkley and Kenneth Sinclair Durrant were brothers.

Commanding Officer of the Flying Squad, Supt. Cornwall Ford, said Kenneth Durrant sent Berkley a package which was given to him by the US embassy in Kingston, resulting in the sting operation.

After his arrest, Berkley was escorted to Supt. Ford?s office where his Bermudian passport was confiscated.

Under cross-examination by Durrant?s lawyer Victoria Pearman, Supt. Ford said no charges had been laid against Berkley in relation to the interception.

Berkley was currently in custody in Jamaica awaiting extradition to Bermuda, he said.

He said Berkley was released after his arrest in December 2004 due to an order by the Director of the Jamaican Department of Public Prosecutions that he faced criminal proceedings in his native Island.

Supt. Ford said Berkley was remanded again two months ago.

The trial continues before Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves today.