Crime Correspondent: Stroud

Mark Franklin ,Pieter Tritton

Mark Franklin told a jury yesterday that up until just before he travelled to Venezuela with Pieter Tritton, he thought it was in Europe.Franklin, who said he had nothing in his life at the time when Tritton offered to take him away to the South American country in late April 2005, said: "I thought it was near Italy and Spain." He is appearing at Gloucester Crown Court, accused of being part of a plot to smuggle cocaine from South America into this country ingeniously hidden in camping gear. He denies his trip with Tritton to Venezuela had any drugs connection.In an operation, orchestrated by Pieter Tritton, the Crown alleges Franklin was a "footsoldier" or "mule" in the plot and was paid for his services. Tritton is currently serving 12 years in prison after he was arrested in a hotel room in Ecuador with 7.8kg of cocaine in a rucksack. In evidence yesterday, Franklin said Tritton had offered him the holiday two or three weeks before they left at a time when he (Franklin) was heavily addicted to heroin. He said Tritton had said he should get away from heroin and enjoy the sunshine. "The sunshine compared to Stroud seemed pretty attractive to me," Franklin told the trial. "It was time to give up the heroin," he added. "I was on a one way road to prison," he added. At the time of the offer, he said his life was "a complete misery" and he would wake early every morning sweating and vomiting, before "trolling round the shops" and later scoring heroin. "Did you know the journey would have a drugs connotation?" asked prosecution barrister Ray Tully. And Franklin replied: "No, absolutely not." Mr Tully asked if Tritton had discussed with him why he had wanted to take the trip. Franklin said he thought it was because he (Tritton) needed a break, had been working hard and wanted a holiday. Earlier, the jury heard how Franklin had previous convictions from 1994 onwards - for dishonesty and shoplifting and in 2000 had appeared in court for possessing heroin. Earlier the trial heard how Tritton and Franklin flew to Caracas on April 29, and, under surveillance, appeared to do nothing for days on end, except mill about their hotel and the shops. It is the Crown's case that some kind of "importation" took place during this trip, the trial has heard. The court was told how Franklin and another woman, Victoria Baptist, were allegedly part of a gang which smuggled cocaine into this country - impregnated in camping equipment. Franklin, of Chapel Street, Stroud, along with Baptist, 35, of Paganhill Estate, Paganhill, Stroud - have pleaded not guilty to conspiring together, and with Tritton, Alex Portocarrera, James Fletcher and others, to evade the prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug of Class A between June 1, 2004 and August 15, 2005.

Mark Franklin ,Pieter Tritton

Mark Franklin told a jury yesterday that up until just before he travelled to Venezuela with Pieter Tritton, he thought it was in Europe.Fr...

Peter Tritton ,Victoria Baptist, Mark Franklin

The trial of Victoria Baptist, 35 and Mark Franklin, 31, accused of being part of an "ingenious" operation, has begun at Gloucester Crown Court.Stroud man and woman plotted to smuggle cocaine worth thousands of pounds from South America into the UK by concealing it in camping equipment, a jury was told yesterday. The Class A drug was brought to the UK impregnated in tents and ground sheets but was then extracted in special "laboratories" in London and Scotland, it was alleged. Once it had been reclaimed from the camping gear the drug was "cut" with another substance, then put out for onward sale, said the prosecution Lynch pin in the operation was Peter Tritton who, having been arrested in Ecuador in 2005, is now serving 12 years in prison there, said prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood. He told the jury: "Both these defendants were, in different ways, connected to Peter Tritton." He said Victoria Baptist, Tritton's girlfriend, was arrested with him in Ecuador in August 2005. They were found with 7.8kg of cocaine after Tritton had been monitored for months by the serious organised crime squad. Franklin was arrested, along with others, back in the UK. The prosecutor said it was the Crown's case that Franklin, with others, was recruited by Tritton to assist in the operation. He described Franklin as a "footsoldier" and added that Jamie Fletcher and Alex Portocarrero had admitted being part of the conspiracy and were awaiting sentence. A significant purchase, said Mr Probert-Wood, was made by Tritton on November 4 that year, when he bought 25 litres of methanol from Cotswolds Chemicals. On September 19, 2004, Tritton flew from Heathrow to Caracas, Venezuela, and made a cash withdrawal the next day. Throughout February and March the following year, he was making regular calls to Baptist and Fletcher, the court heard, and in March, Baptist and her teenage daughter travelled for two weeks to the Dominican Republic, paid for by Tritton. Tritton and Franklin flew to Caracas together on April 29, and, under surveillance Tritton and a man were seen to get into a vehicle and Tritton emerged with a blue rucksack. "We don't know where Mr Franklin was at this time," said the prosecutor. He said it was the Crown's case some kind of "importation" took place, backed up by the fact Franklin, after the trip, paid £1,200 in three payments into his account. On June 3, 2005. Victoria Baptist was seen in Natwest bank in Stroud making a payment on behalf of Mr Tritton, claimed the prosecutor. Later that afternoon, she was with her daughter, and they met Tritton in the town. He had a box with him. They all drove to London, where they handed a man the box before driving back to Gloucestershire. The following day, the trial heard, mother and daughter flew to Amsterdam and on their return Victoria Baptist had a bag which was found to be contaminated with cocaine. Baptist, 35, of Paganhill Estate, Paganhill, Stroud, and Franklin, 31, of Chapel Street, Stroud have pleaded not guilty to conspiring together, and with Pieter Jack Thomas Tritton, Alex Portocarrera, James Andrew Paul Fletcher and others, to evade the prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug of Class A between June 1, 2004 and August 15, 2005.

Peter Tritton ,Victoria Baptist, Mark Franklin

The trial of Victoria Baptist, 35 and Mark Franklin, 31, accused of being part of an "ingenious" operation, has begun at Glouceste...