A BARROW man allegedly involved in a drug deal claims he was visiting a prostitute in the same city when the illegal exchange took place, a court has heard. 

Jordan Graham, 28, of Church Street, is one of two men on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. 

Both he and John Lawrence, 31, deny conspiring to supply cocaine to others as part of a criminal enterprise which was masterminded from prison. 

This saw illegal substances shipped to Cumbria from the Liverpool and Manchester areas. 

Jurors have heard that the potential street value of drugs seized by police investigating the criminal conspiracy was almost £1m. 

They have also been told that 15 other people have already admitted they were part of the cocaine plot. Two of them are said to have met at Lancaster railway station on July 9 last year. 

On that date, a quantity of the class A drug - believed to have been destined for Barrow - was the subject of an illegal handover. 

The jury has heard that cell site data showed a mobile phone attributed to Graham was in the Lancaster area that day. 

But while the prosecution claims he was involved in the railway station drug deal, Graham has given a different account. 

His version of events came in evidence that was summarised by Judge Barbara Forrester in court today before the jury was sent out to consider its verdict. 

"Mr Graham says he was there to visit a prostitute, and produced records from a telephone to say he had searched websites that day and visited a prostitute," said Judge Forrester. 

Graham claimed he drove to Lancaster having arranged an appointment, and was in the city for an hour before making the return journey to Barrow. 

"He could not remember details of who she was or where she was," Judge Forrester reminded the jury. 

Graham maintained he was not involved in the handover of cocaine that day - nor at any other time during a conspiracy which ran between April and September last year. 

The court has heard that Graham and Lawrence, of St Helens, each admit being involved with Class B drugs. However, both have given evidence and emphatically denied they played any part in the Class A cocaine supply network. 

Judge Forrester told the jury of eight women and four men before they started to deliberate: "When it comes to the facts it is your judgement that counts. "The evidence must lead to a sure conclusion that the charge the defendants face is proved against them."