ruled.

Coroner Arthur Hodgson returned the verdict after an inquest into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Burrows' sudden death.

The Lefroy House resident was found hanging from a noose connected to an upstairs balcony by nursing home staff on the morning of January 11, 1997. He had last been seen alive at around 7 a.m. and was noticed missing a short time later.

King Edward VII Memorial Hospital pathologist Dr. James Johnston performed an autopsy on Mr. Burrows and told the inquest that he had discovered the man died from asphyxia due to suspension.

And testimony read to the court by investigating officer P.c. Edward Smith revealed that family members had noticed Mr. Burrows becoming less and less free-spirited and carefree after suffering a stroke.

Lefroy House nursing supervisor Merle Sheen said Mr. Burrows was somewhat anti-social in her testimony.

The home's matron Geneviene Masters added that he tended to isolate himself from the other residents at Lefroy House and was not talkative.

Mr. Hodgson said there was no evidence to indicate that there was any other cause of death than asphyxia caused by hanging. Nor was there any evidence of another person being involved, he added.

In closing he sent sympathy to all of the people involved in Mr. Burrows' care before he died.

RIPPED OFF BY HITCHHIKER CRM Ripped off by hitchhiker A Good Samaritan was rewarded by becoming the victim of theft.

On Monday afternoon a woman stopped to give a female hitchhiker a ride while heading east along South Road in Paget near the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

She dropped the hitchhiker off just below Collector's Hill and continued on her way.

The woman later discovered that her house guest's cash and credit cards, which were on the floor of the passenger seat of the car, were missing.

The hitchhiker was described as brown-skinned, about five-feet nine-inches tall and thin with black curly hair, wearing blue jeans and a dark, long-sleeved shirt.

SCHOOL BREAK-IN CRM School break-in A Government senior school was the victim of a break-in over the weekend, a Police spokeswoman reported yesterday.

Berkeley Institute's physical education office, which is in the school's gymnasium, was broken into at some point between 3.30 p.m. on Friday and 8.25 a.m. on Monday.

A number of containers, including one which held a quantity of coins and cash, were stolen.

And a Whaling Hill, Southampton resident also fell victim to a thief or thieves on Monday, continued the spokeswoman.

He went out at 9 a.m. and returned around noon to find someone had entered his home and stolen some cash from a bedroom drawer.

THREE TRY TO ROB MAN CRM Three try to rob man A 49-year-old Khyber Heights, Warwick man has reported that three men attempted to rob him early Tuesday morning.

A Police spokeswoman said the man was socialising at the Pembroke Hamilton Club and alleged that he was attacked by three men when he went to leave.

The man's belt was broken as the trio fought to get into his pockets and remove his wallet.

And he was allegedly poked in the eye, which caused some bleeding, during the attack. He was later taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.