Police of inaccurately recording his statements.

Gregory Ryan Ashby, of Berkeley Road, Pembroke, yesterday testified for the first time in his Supreme Court drugs trial.

Ashby faces three charges of importing, handling, and possessing cannabis with the intent to supply between February 14 and 21 last year.

The six-man, six-woman jury heard that almost ten pounds of the drug were hidden inside a water heater and shipped aboard the Oleander last February.

On February 21 last year, Ashby and a co-worker from the Bermuda Forwarders Company picked up the 30-gallon water heater and took it to Ashby's grandmother's home.

Narcotics officers discovered the heater later the same day in the 85-year old woman's basement.

According to Police records, Ashby's grandmother asked him: "Are you trying to kill me?'' Ashby -- defended by lawyer Archibald Warner -- reportedly replied: "I'm sorry, granny. I sorry. She doesn't know anything about it.'' But yesterday Ashby told Crown counsel Peter Eccles the Police account was incorrect.

"I said I don't have anything to do with this,'' Ashby said.

Mr. Eccles also questioned Ashby on several other inconsistencies between the Police records and his Supreme Court testimony.

Police found a piece of paper with the number of the container in which the heater was shipped in Ashby's back pocket.

Their records report Ashby denied that he ever had the paper.

Yesterday, Ashby said he could not remember making such a response.

Narcotics officers also recorded Ashby's denials of making a shipment inquiry on his mother's behalf, any knowledge of the heater shipment, or that he took the water heater from the Number Eight Shed on Front Street.

All of the above incidents were supported by the accounts of several other witnesses.

"Why is that?'' asked Mr. Eccles.

"Is it because you didn't have your story straight and you didn't have time to cook one up?'' But Ashby once again said he did not remember the responses and told Mr.

Eccles he had been unsure of the dates concerned.

"I thought most of my answers had been `no comment', '' he said.

"So you slipped a few times. Your advice was to say `no comment' wasn't it?'' asked Mr. Eccles.

Mr. Eccles also suggested that Ashby had read all of the witness statements in order to tailor his account for the jury.

But Ashby said he relied only on his own memory and had never read any of the Police or witness statements before the trial.

"Wouldn't that be the common sense thing to do when faced with serious charges?'' asked Chief Justice Austin Ward.

"I have a lawyer, if he asked me a question, I answered,'' said Ashby.

"He never came to me and told me to read any statements.

"He's my lawyer. Why should I question him?'' he added.

The case continues on Monday.