The travelling companion of a woman who died after cocaine bags burst in her stomach says he had no idea she planned to smuggle drugs into the UK.
David Case told Cardiff Crown Court he went to Trinidad with Nicola Last to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Ms Last, from Barry, died in hospital from a cocaine overdose after 34 bags of the drug were found in her stomach.

Mr Case and Sebastian Stephen, both 44, from Cardiff, deny conspiracy to import and supply a controlled Class A drug.

Mr Case the jury that he and Ms Last, a mother-of-two, had bumped into a man they had met on a previous trip to Jaimaica on a beach in Trinidad.

They had a drink with him, he said, and Ms Last met him alone twice more that week, including the night before they flew home.

Under questioning by his defence barrister, Andrew Taylor, Case said he thought it was a “coincidence” they had met the man.

Mr Taylor asked him: “Was there ever any discussion between you and Nicola about the possibility of bringing drugs back into the UK?”

Mr Case replied: “No,” and said the first he knew of Last importing drugs was when he received a call that she was in hospital after swallowing cocaine.

He also said said he had known Mr Stephen for about four years and telephoned him while they were away to borrow money.

He said he had only taken £200 on holiday and Mr Stephen agreed to transfer money to his cousin Haydn, who was in Trinidad, and get him to bring it to their hotel.

Tri-band phone

Mr Case said that a man later came to their hotel with £600 for him and said he was Mr Stephen’s cousin.

Mr Taylor asked him why he had bought a new mobile phone before the trip and another one while in Trinidad when he already had two phones at home.

Mr Case said he bought a tri-band phone to use abroad but when they arrived in Trinidad it did not work, so he bought another one.

The prosecution allege both men were part of a drug-dealing gang.

Huw Evans, prosecuting, said: “The evidence suggests that Sebastian Stephen recruited David Case to become a drugs carrier, sometimes referred to as a mule.

‘Literally saturated’

“David Case in turn recruited Nicola Last to help him bring cocaine from Trinidad back to the UK.”

He said Last’s body was “literally saturated” with cocaine when she died.

Mr Evans said both their stomachs were scanned for drugs at Heathrow but none were picked up until the images were later enhanced.

Mr Evans said Mr Case and Ms Last did not fly to Trinidad on the off-chance, but went to negotiate a deal to bring drugs back to the UK.

He said that to do this they needed the right credentials, which were provided by Mr Stephen.

Related posts:

1. Kent mechanic denies part in cocaine smuggling plot
2. ‘Drugs baron’ case jury sent home
3. Drug dealer jailed over killing
4. Drug murder accused ‘respectable’
5. Men jailed over heroin shipment
6. Brothers guilty of triple murder
7. Man in court over surfboard drugs
8. Pc guilty of passing secrets to drug dealer
9. Four on Hertfordshire party drugs death charges