News

LOWE FREE...Reggae Boy beat drug charge rap

JAMAICA STRIKER ONANDI Lowe was freed of drug charges in Northampton Crown Court in London, England today.

Lowe, who was accused of attempting to possess more than a kilogramme of crack cocaine, was freed after the 12 member jury returned a not guilty verdict.

The prosecution alleged that Lowe was "part of a chain of supply" who signed for a package which originally held more than £100,000 worth of the drug at his home in Northamptonshire.

The drugs had actually been removed by drugs officers in Miami after the box arrived from the Caribbean.

Lowe has told the court that he was accepting the package as a favour for a friend who had no permanent address in the UK and he had no idea the box held drugs.

Lowe, 31, - who has 65 caps for the Reggae Boyz the Jamaica national football team, - came to Britain in 2001 and has played for Port Vale, Rushden and Diamonds and Coventry City.

He earned more than £4,500 per month through football and also took appearance and goals bonuses.

No need to smuggle

In closing on Thursday, defence counsel Mark Graffius told the jury that Lowe was a successful footballer who had no need to smuggle drugs. "He has bettered himself, he has signed for Coventry. He is sending money home and built his mother a house," said counsel. "He is flying at this point. With all that going for him do you think you can really be sure of his guilt?

"Can you exclude the possibility that he has been set up?

"The bottom line is you cannot exclude that possibility and you cannot be sure. It is now the case that there is only one safe verdict and that is one of not guilty."

Lowe, now of Finsbury Park, north London, denies one charge of attempting to possess a class A drug with intent to supply.

He was arrested on April 14 last year after police filmed him signing for the package which held 1.17kg of the drug at a purity of 71% cocaine.If convicted, the maximum sentence he could have faced is of life imprisonment.