A father-of-one who accused narcotics officers of beating and kicking him walked free from court yesterday after a jury acquitted him of drug possession with intent to supply.

Deon Eugene Bassett, 27, had denied possession with intent to supply cocaine worth $81,895 and cannabis worth $1,975. He also pleaded not guilty to possession of a set of scales used to weigh controlled drugs and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Yesterday, by a majority of nine to three, a Supreme Court One jury found him not guilty of all four charges.

During his week-long trial, Mr. Bassett, of Cambridge Road, Somerset, told how Police officers attacked him after taking him to an address in Cherry Dale Drive, Smith?s, on November 9, 2004, and finding drugs in a bedroom closet there.

He said his hands were cuffed behind his back as they hit him.

?The only thing I was able to do at this time was to curl up against the wall,? he said.

The court heard that he did not complain about the alleged assault at the time.

But Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves told the jury yesterday that they should not draw any adverse inference against him because of that.

?You must not find that there was any duty on the part of the defendant to complain,? he said.

The officers claimed Mr. Bassett snatched a Police evidence bag and ran off but was caught after a violent struggle. Detective Constable Roger Saints said when Mr. Bassett was restrained he was asked why he had run and he replied: ?I had too. I can?t get locked up.?

Mr. Justice Greaves told the jury that if they concluded that Mr. Bassett did not or may not have made the statements, they should disregard them. He added that it was up to the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Bassett, who has a one-year-old son and had never been in trouble with the law before, knew or suspected that the drugs were in the closet.

During his defence, Mr. Bassett said he had no idea they were there and that he had not been living at the apartment, which belonged to his great aunt and uncle, for at least four months at the time of his arrest.

Mr. Bassett declined to comment after the case.