continue to pound away at Police witnesses, accusing them of beating the 42-year-old Southampton man to the point of breaking ribs, then conspiring to cover it up.

But Police witnesses continued to hammer back, saying defence counsel Archie Warner's allegations of brutality were untrue.

Testifying for the Crown, Sergeant Sean Field-Lament told Puisne Judge Richard Ground and a Supreme Court jury he was at Douglas's Plumber's Lane home on the night of January 29, 1995, as part of team called to exercise a search warrant.

While there he observed Douglas make two abortive attempts to run from Police custody. It took three officers to wrestle Douglas to the ground and handcuff him after the first escape attempt.

On the second attempt Sgt. Field-Lament told Crown Counsel Khamisi Tokunbo, he was inside Douglas's house when he heard a commotion outside.

He looked outside and saw Douglas, his hands cuffed behind his back, making a run for it towards Plumber's Lane. When he finally caught up to the chase he observed two other officers lifting Douglas out of a ditch.

The testimony came as the trial entered its tenth day. Douglas was charged together with Janice Dayle-Smith of King Street, Pembroke, with importing and intent to supply $155,000 worth of cocaine.

Dayle-Smith was busted at the International Airport on January 29 when Customs officers discovered nearly half a kilogram of cocaine-hydrochloride stashed inside four bottles of shampoo and hair conditioner.

She subsequently cooperated with Narcotics officers, who arrested Douglas at his home later that night following a controlled delivery of the drugs.

She was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges earlier this month.

Testifying on the opening day of Douglas's trial, she told the Court she had travelled to New York City to collect the cocaine from a Colombian man named Roberto.

The defence maintains narcotics officers grabbed Douglas as he opened his door and kneed him in the groin, then beat him. Mr. Warner then alleges Police allowed Douglas to change his blood-spattered clothing before taking him to the Hamilton Police station.

The defence further contends Police held back medical treatment to extract a confession; Douglas -- who was brought to jail at midnight on January 30 -- did not receive medical attention until 6 p.m. that day. Doctors determined he had two broken ribs, leg abrasions and a black eye.

Previous Police witnesses have however branded that version of events as "ridiculous''. The Police contend Douglas must have broken his ribs when he fell into the ditch and struck a wall, which was under construction.