Darius Pearce – who is facing three counts of becoming concerned in the acquisition, use, possession or control of criminal property – appeared in the Royal Court yesterday for the third day of his trial.
Giving evidence, Customs officer Christopher Martins told the court that he stopped the defendant on 7 May last year after Mr Pearce had disembarked from a flight that had just arrived from London.
He said that, when questioned about the reason for his trip, Mr Pearce said he had been buying and selling gold in the capital and produced documents which showed that he had obtained around £25,000 in cash from selling bullion.
The officer added that he then asked him what he had done with the cash and Mr Pearce allegedly explained he had paid one of his suppliers for goods that he had already imported into Jersey. However, Mr Martins said that Mr Pearce refused to disclose what type of goods they were or who the supplier was.
Mr Martins then, the court heard, asked the defendant if he was registered as a business to pay GST quarterly. He alleged that Mr Pearce said in response: ‘Why would I be stupid enough to do that? Then I would have to pay taxes.’
Cross-examining Mr Martins, Mr Pearce, who is representing himself, claimed the officer’s account of events were not correct. He said: ‘I believe I told you that it was not in your jurisdiction and you did not need to know. Is that not correct?’
Mr Martins said in response: ‘No, it is not’. Referring to his notebook containing entries written during the stop, the
officer added: ‘He [Mr Pearce] became extremely agitated, said that I was wasting his time and that he would be writing to ministers.’
The Inferior Number trial, which is heard by Jurats rather than a jury, continues.
