42-year-old Southampton taxi driver who stands accused of importing and possessing nearly $155,000 worth of cocaine.

Puisne Judge Richard Ground will charge the jury this morning before the panel decides whether Vincent Oneal Douglas -- acting together with Janice Dayle-Smith or on his own -- is guilty of the two count indictment.

Douglas' 12-day trial moved to final arguments yesterday after the accused declined to take the stand and defence counsel Archie Warner produced no witnessese.

In wrapping up his case Crown Counsel Khamisi Tokunbo told the jury circumstantial and direct evidence had clearly shown Douglas -- either together with Dayle-Smith or own his own -- conspired to import nearly half a kilogram of cocaine from a Colombian connection in New York City.

It was more than coincidence that Douglas bought Dayle-Smith a plane ticket to New York City in late January, 1995, said Mr. Tokunbo.

More than coincidence that he gave her $10,000 to bring to a Colombian man named Roberto; that Douglas told her to call him in Bermuda once she checked into her New York hotel; that ten minutes after she told him where she was staying the Colombian called her, said Mr. Tokunbo.

Direct evidence on the other hand has clearly proved Douglas was in possession of a plastic bag containing four bottles of hair products, with some of the cocaine stashed inside.

The drugs were found at the rear of Douglas's Plumber's Lane home on January 30, one day after narcotics officers staged a controlled delivery with Dayle-Smith's cooperation and exercised a search warrant on him. Douglas later admitted to Police he "panicked'' and threw the bag out his bathroom window when Police came to his home on the night of January 29.

Meanwhile defence allegations of Police brutality, withholding medical treatment, and a cover-up "are nothing but a smokescreen meant to distract you from looking at the facts,'' said Mr. Tokunbo.

The Crown's case however rests on the credibility of its main witness, Dayle-Smith: "and her hands are too far in the cookie jar for you to be sure Vincent Douglas was involved,'' Mr. Warner told the jury.

That Dayle-Smith testified Douglas gave her $10,000 to give to a Colombian man named Roberto proves nothing; she did not say in any statement the money was specifically for drugs, said Mr. Warner.

The defence contends the Colombian left the money in Bermuda in December, 1994, and Douglas asked Dayle-Smith to return it to him.

Meanwhile Dayle-Smith's claims that she thought she was only carrying a gift for Douglas are not to be believed, said Mr. Warner. She knew she was carrying drugs and knew who she was dealing with, said Mr. Warner.

Perhaps Dayle-Smith was attempting to pay-off her (now deceased) husband's debts to the Colombians by bringing the drugs to Bermuda, Mr. Warner told the jury. And when she got caught she tried to pin the blame on Douglas.

There also exists reasonable doubt as to whether Douglas was in actual possession of cocaine. In setting up their delivery, Police only put one pellet of what was believed to have been cocaine in a bottle of shampoo.

But what if it wasn't cocaine, asked Mr. Warner, pointing out the drug trade is notoriously dishonest and any of the pellets could have been faked.

Government's expert never tested that actual pellet.

The Crown's case, he told the jury, was only speculative and hinged on the money: "If you take away the $10,000 the prosecution's case would collapse.'' Mr. Warner asked the jury to observe the case clinically and without bias.