A JURY has heard evidence from a man who is accused of involvement in a 'truly massive' conspiracy to supply cocaine worth up to £53m.

Scott Owen, 33, denies being part of the plot, a  “countrywide” operation, to market more than 200 kilos of the Class A drug with some stored in a lockup garage in Windermere by one of the conspirators, the city's crown court heard.

As he opened the case, prosecutor Tim Evans said that large amounts of cocaine were brought to Cumbria and supplied to 31-year-old Reece Barnes.

Multiple kilos of the drug were brought to Windermere, where Barnes kept his drugs, generally moving them in and out of the garage in shoeboxes, said Mr Evans.

Barnes is one of nine men who have already admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Mr Evans to the jury: “What is at issue in this trial is whether this defendant [Scott Owen] was playing an active role in the conspiracy.

"He seems likely to say that he was… just in the wrong place at the wrong time on occasions, round and socialising with some of the conspirators for innocent reasons and not because he was playing a role in it.”

The prosecutor said that on occasions, when one of the conspirators, 62-year-old Stephen Stockall, could not supply Barnes, the latter turned to Scott Owen and others.

Before the defendant gave evidence, Mr Evans gave the jury a list of agreed facts. They included the fact that Owen previously admitted being part of a seven-month conspiracy in 2012 to supply Class B cannabis.

Questioned by his defence barrister Patrick Harte, Owen said he was 21 when he committed that offence, and he served four months in jail as a result. He said the conspiracy related to 9oz of cannabis, which he agreed to distribute to friends.

Asked about the time he spent in custody, he said: “I didn’t like it.”

Owen confirmed that he was arrested for the alleged cocaine conspiracy last May as he disembarked from a plane which had brought him back to the UK from Portugal.

“What were you doing in Portugal?” asked Mr Harte. “I was at a stag do with my accountant,” replied Owen.

“I left on May 8 and returned on May 13.”

He said none of the men who were arrested for involvement in the cocaine conspiracy were at the same stag do. Owen said he heard that one of his friends had been arrested and he asked another if he had any ties with what happened.

“I was just curious if he had any ties,” he said.

Mr Harte asked Owen: “Were you involved with any of those men in dealing drugs?” The defendant responded with: “Most definitely not.” The barrister asked: “Did you have anything to fear by being in contact with them?”

Owen replied: “No.” The defendant said he knew the arrests had been linked to drugs, but he had not known to what extent that was the case.

After Mr Harte pointed out that Owen had chosen to return to the UK, he said: “I had nothing to do with this conspiracy so why would I have any problem with coming back home?”

The barrister questioned the defendant about the men who prosecutors say have already admitted their involvement in the conspiracy.  

Owen said he knew 36-year-old Darryl Preston, who had been a friend for 18 years and they would speak every day, he said. Reece Barnes was also a friend.

He said they boxed together in Windermere and had used the same gym. A third defendant, Thomas Whittaker, had visited his workplace to look at a van or car but had not bought anything.

Owen, of Salisbury Way, Wigan, said man also went to his home address to look at a car while he knew of 41-year-old Andrew Stevens but not in personal terms.

He did not know the other defendants who have admitted being a part of the conspiracy, he said.

The defendant said he is from a “good solid family”, and that he had set up two companies – one based on his involvement in breeding cane corso dogs and another – funded by a £20,000 loan from his grandfather – which specialised in logistics.

He used the cash to purchase a recovery truck and trailer, he said. The conspiracy is said to have ended lasted for almost 15 months, ending in May of last year.

The men who admitted involvement in the conspiracy are Barnes, of Elim Grove, Bowness-on-Windermere; Stockall, of Well Lane, Weaverham, Northwich; Simon Buller, 45, of Freshfield Avenue, Atherton; Stephens, of East Field Drive, Golborne, near Wigan; Cane Turner, 32, of no fixed address; Anthony Warhurst, 58, of Knowsley Street, Leigh; Whittaker, 45, of Brierfield, Digmoor, Skelmersdale; and Michael Evans, 36, of no fixed address; and Preston, of Hampson Street, Atherton