The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial for a Jamaican woman convicted of smuggling drugs into Canada because of the "impugned testimony" of a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer, THE STAR has learnt.

According to online reports, Lorraine Lewis was arrested at Pearson International Airport on June 16, 2007. She was convicted on October 5, 2009 of cocaine smuggling.

cocaine in bottles

Reports are that the Jamaican had two bottles of wine in her suitcase. The bottles were found to contain 862 grams of cocaine dissolved in them. The drug was said to have a value of CAN$70,000 (J$6,020,000).

When questioned, Lewis claimed she did not know the cocaine was in the wine.

Sonia Bellisimo, the CBSA officer who referred Lewis for secondary inspection, testified that she knew something was wrong, largely based on the fact that Lewis claimed she bought her ticket just before her trip and paid cash for it.

She told jurors these are potential signs of someone's guilt.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the testimony should have been deemed inadmissible by the trial judge, Justice Thomas Bielby.

The appeal judges said the CBSA officer wasn't classified as an expert witness, and her comments may have tainted the jury in reaching its verdict.

Although the province's top court ruled that the Crown "presented a very strong case" against Lewis, it ordered a new trial due to the "prejudicial nature" of Bellisimo's testimony.

The new trial date is yet to be set.