Lawyer denies drug charges ahead of retrial

(CNS): A local attorney who has been battling drug charges for eight years that relate to small traces of cocaine and methamphetamine found in his carryon bag at the airport will face trial once again in June. Caymanian lawyer Patrick Gregory Schmid, who left Cayman in 2011 while on bail awaiting a retrial voluntarily returned to Cayman earlier this month and appeared in Grand Court Thursday when he entered not guilty pleas to allegations of importation of the drugs. A new trial date has been set for 2 June this year and despite having previously absconded Schmid was bailed until trial on strict conditions.

The judge refused to vary those conditions, which his attorney said amounted to house arrest. Justice Malcolm Swift told Schmid’s attorney that he would need to make an application before Justice Charles Quin for any change in the conditions as it was that judge who had set the terms. Schmid remains on a 7pm to 6am curfew and has surrendered his travel documents.  He is ordered to appear at the police station three times per week and has also given financial assurities.

Schmid is charged with importing and possessing 0.0085 of a gram of cocaine and 0.134 of a gram of methamphetamine when he arrived at Owen Roberts International Airport in July 2006 on a flight from Miami. He was convicted in 2007 in Summary court but the conviction was overturned on appeal and a retrial was ordered.

Facing a second trial for the offence Schmid chose to have the case heard in the Grand Court. Trial was set for November 2011 but before the case was heard Schmid jumped bail and left the island. He also faces summary offences of insulting the modesty of a woman, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to surrender to custody.