An auto-body repair man and a cosmetologist were brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday for allegedly attempting to ship cocaine via the Portmore and Cross Roads post offices.

Conroy Hayden, 49, and Ashanay Francis, 24, face possession of cocaine, attempting to export cocaine and conspiracy to export cocaine charges.

Presiding judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague was told that on two occasions, August 8, 2022 at the Cross Roads Post Office, and December 22, 2022 at the Portmore Post Office, Hayden and Francis attempted to ship packages. On both occasions, the court was told, the packages contained food items such as Excelsior Crackers but, upon reviewing the items, cocaine – one pound and 8.5 ounces – was discovered in the shipment.

During her bail hearing, Francis’ defence attorney said Francis had no previous convictions and is the mother of a four-year-old child. She was offered bail in the sum of $400,000, with reporting conditions.

Meanwhile, attempting to explain why he was allegedly shipping cocaine, Hayden claimed a friend asked him to ship what he thought were food items to London. He said he had no idea that cocaine was in the packages.

“I do remember crackers [and] sausage was in the package,” Hayden said. “[The man] give me $9,000 [to ship the packages] and said keep the change.”

However, Hayden, who claimed to be a caretaker at a residence in Red Hills, St Andrew, was not offered bail because, according to the Investigating Officer (IO), she was not convinced that the house he purported to live in was his permanent place of abode.

The IO said when she went to verify his address “only clothing items were found,” and nothing else to suggest that he lives there.

However, Hayden told the judge that he lived at the house with his girlfriend and has been paying $20,000 monthly for rent and caring for the premises over the last two years while the owner does renovation for an Airbnb.

“I just control one room downstairs that is finished,” Hayden said. “I’ve never been in any trouble before.”

“We have to be more discerning. We have to question more. It can’t be that somebody just asks for a favour to send out a package and we don’t ask certain questions,” Cole-Montague said.

Hayden was further remanded. Both defendants were ordered to return to court on July 3, when it is expected that the case file will be completed.