yesterday in Magistrates' Court.

But the pleas of Denton Parris, 26, and 42-year-old Mervyn Smith fell on deaf ears.

Parris, of Cochrane Road, and Smith, of Bob's Valley Lane, had been jointly charged with supplying diamorphine on Broome Street have been remanded in custody at the Westgate Correctional Facility since June 6.

The pair yesterday appeared in court at 9.30 a.m. for a long-form preliminary inquiry to determine whether there was enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial.

However, the American Drug Enforcement Agency officers involved in the case were unable to attend yesterday's hearing and the matter was adjourned until later in the day.

It was then that Parris' defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher asked Senior Magistrate Will Francis to grant her client bail.

"We were prepared today for a long-form preliminary inquiry,'' Ms Christopher said. "And since there has been a change in circumstances I am asking for bail.

"Denton Parris has already served four months,'' she added. "I find it hard to swallow that he may have to remain in custody.

"He is a single father. He has two small children who his parents are now caring for. Everyday he's in jail, he's missing out on their lives.'' Smith -- who was not represented -- told Mr. Francis that the "so-called'' drugs he "so-called'' sold only weighed 0.04 grams and were approximately three percent pure.

"That means the other 97 percent wasn't drugs,'' he said.

"That's nothing,'' he continued. "I've seen a guy come before you, Sir, with 30 pounds of cocaine found in his house and still get bail. "And all I did was sell a guy some Nestle's Quik. That three percent of drugs could have come from anywhere. I mean, they (Police) had the stuff for three weeks. It could have been tainted. Someone could have sneezed it on there.'' Mrs. Christopher added: "Just because these men were a part of Operation Cleansweep does not mean that they are animals.'' But Mr. Francis told the court that he could not grant bail for either of the men.

"My hands are tied,'' he said. "I have to listen to both sides before I can consider these men for bail.'' Mr. Francis rescheduled the long-form preliminary inquiries of both men for October 14. The hearings are expected to take two days.

Lawyer Leighton Rochester appeared for the Crown.