Twenty-seven-year-old Shane Minors was yesterday cleared of possession of cannabis with intent to supply after a Supreme Court jury returned a not guilty verdict.

After the jury returned its verdict, Puisne Justice Carlisle Greaves told Mr. Minors he was free to go.

Raising his arms in joy as he left Supreme Court, Mr. Minors said: “I don’t have anything to say. I’m so happy and I’m going home. I’m going to give my daughter a big kiss.”

Mr. Minors was arrested by Police at the Bermuda International Airport on August 15, 2005 after he picked up a package, which contained cannabis — throughout the trial Mr. Minors denied any knowledge of the drugs.

The drugs were hidden in the backrest of an Essential Student Gas Lift Chair and was revealed in court to be 661 grams of cannabis worth more than $33,000 if sold on the street.

In his defence, Mr. Minors told the court he was approached by a Sandra Dill on August 12, 2005 who asked him if he could pick up a package for her at the Airport because the person who usually runs her errands was busy.

He said he regularly runs errands for friends, families and neighbours to supplement his income from his job at Carmichael’s Sanitation because he was a single father raising his daughter on his own.

He said he arrived at the Airport at 5 p.m. on August 12 with a note from Mrs. Dill requesting a package for the Department of Education and was told the freight shed was closed and he should return on Monday with the proper documents.

On the following Wednesday, Senior Customs Officer, Andrew McKey, told the court, because of the time and the way Minors was dressed it raised suspicions so he asked Customs Officer Hillary Rodhill to locate the Department of Education packages.

The cannabis was then uncovered in the backrest of a chair, which was in a package for Sandra Dill and a sting was organised for Mr. Minors, who was supposed to return on Monday for the package.

After Mr. Minors signed for the package he left the freight shed and four officers in an unmarked Police car pulled in front of his bike to stop him and when he failed to stop, had to force him off of his bike and arrested him for possession of a controlled drug.

In court, defence lawyer Charles Richardson explained Mr. Minors had his helmet on and the motor of his bike was running so he could not hear the officers and they were not wearing any clothing which would identify them as Police. Mr. Richardson argued his client had no knowledge of the drugs contained in the package and therefore could not be convicted of possession with intent to supply.

After three and half hours a majority of the jury agreed with Mr. Richardson and Minors walked away a free man.