Police were also criticised by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner, who said suspects were routinely denied access to lawyers, and by defence lawyer Marc Telemaque, who claimed officers regularly suggested suspects plead guilty to a lesser charge without having a thorough investigation.

Mr. Pearce hit back, saying he was off the Island when the deal with Mundy was made and that both Smith and Mundy would have been convicted of murder had prosecutors waited for forensic evidence.

At the same time that the Serious Crimes Commission was getting underway, gang violence was sparked when a gang of masked youths wielding machetes and baseball hats burst into Pembroke Hamilton Club, terrorising members during a night-time raid.

Police launched a high profile crackdown on gangs in response. Suspected gang members were arrested for a host of charges like possession of offensive weapons, possession of drugs and outstanding warrants.

Gang "peace talks'' would later begin, with the Police and community activists acting as mediators.

The Hotel Concessions Act was passed by the Senate, but only after United Bermuda Party MPs walked out of the House of Assembly after accusing Government of forcing the Hotel Concessions Act through Parliament with too little notice. Tourism Minister David Allen dismissed the walk-out as "the height of irresponsibility''.

Government MPs voted to increase the cut-off annual rental value figure and repeal legislation passed in 1983 promising future developers that they would not be subject to rent control.

Darren Minors, 18, became the third road fatality of the year when he was involved in single vehicle accident with a stone wall.

Parliament ended its session with Home Affairs Minister tabling a Green Paper on long-term residents and Jennifer Smith tabling a Green Paper on Constitutional change.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon calls on Government to have a Constitutional Conference to debate the finer points of constitutional changes, regarding the way the Island picks MPs.

Armed police are denied entry to Westgate prison facility after they arrived to assist with a drugs raid -- even though a 1999 report, published days earlier, highlight drugs as a "very serious problem''. Officials later say they "learned from'' the botched raid.

Former National Liberal Party Chairman Charles Jeffers says long-term residents, especially those who have been in Bermuda for longer than 20 years, deserve the same rights as born Bermudians. He also reveals the Immigration Advisory Group, set up to advise Government on immigration matters, had met just once since its formation.

Travel and Leisure Magazine voted Bermuda best in the Caribbean for the third year in a row.

The prison inmate rehab programme Woodshop Plus returned to the news when a committee set up to determine its fate deemed it unsuitable. Attempts to evict the residents led to a stand-off, and Government eventually backed down.

SEPTEMBER The Serious Crimes Commission continued to meet in September, with Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo hitting back at his critics. He said allegations of him knowing Justis Smith's father were part of a campaign to prevent him from getting the Director of Public Prosecutions position.

Director of Amnesty International in Bermuda, LeYoni Jones, speaking as a citizen, said former Attorney General Elliott Mottley was "arrogant'' and "irresponsible'' in his handling of the Rebecca Middleton murder case.

Former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall said he would not be returning to Bermuda to give evidence because the Attorney General refused to respond to an application for immunity from civil action for two months.

Debate over long term residents' rights heated up when the Coalition for the Rights of Long-Term Residents called for long-term residents here before August 1989 to be given full citizenship.

More than 400 people crammed Government's first public meeting on the Green Paper on long-term residency. Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox stressed "the rights of Bermudians are the first and paramount consideration''.

Tempers boiled over at the second public meeting. John Taylor, who said he was speaking on behalf of his parish, said: "No status, no status, no status.

None. Not for a 100 years, not for a thousand years. Never. No status.'' Gang talks ended after members were criticised publicly.

Three youths who robbed and beat taxi driver Warrington (Soup) Zuill in June, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated robbery, grievous bodily harm and taking away a motor car without the owner's permission.

Bermuda battened down for Tropical Storm Florence, but the storm weakened and did no damage as it passed the Island.

At the same time, Bermuda's Olympic team marched into the 2000 Olympics in Australia with hopes high for medals in equestrianism and sailing.

But the team was soon plunged into shock when Pan American Games gold medallist MJ Tumbridge's horse Bermuda's Gold suffered a splintered rear left cannon during a course run and had to be put down.

Bermudian sailors Peter Bromby and Lee White moved into a joint third place in the Olympics, but disaster struck in the second to last race when they were forced out of the race and finishged just shy of a medal.

People suspected of promoting pyramid schemes were off the hook when Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo recommended no-one be prosecuted for the schemes.

And taxi driver Lloyd Smart was robbed in Warwick, outside his home. The passenger grabbed Mr. Smart's wallet and in the brief struggle, the taxi crashed into a lower apartment. The thief fled and Mr. Smart suffered minor injuries. Mr. Smart told The Royal Gazette the dangers in driving taxis had scared a number of drivers off the road. Others simply refuse to pick up young black men.

In education, Minister Sen. Milton Scott announced Berkeley's new $60 million complex, opening in 2003.

Later in the month, Police would be called to the current Berkeley campus after teachers confiscated five brown paper twists containing white drug-like substances.

In tourism, TWA dropped its twice-weekly flight from St. Louis and said it would not return next year.

Roberta Flack and Diana Krall headlined the fifth annual Jazz Festival in Dockyard. In the East End, E. Michael Jones, Ross Smith and Henry Hayward squared off for the election of a new Mayor of St. George's in October.

Former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell visited Bermuda and spoke with business leaders, urging development of the youth.

Debate over Premier Smith's proposed Constitutional changes mounted towards the end of the month. UBP Whip Cole Simons said under Section 54 of the Constitution, the Commission could only look at the size and balance of constituencies -- not determine the number of MPs in the House of Assembly.

But Ms Smith said Mr. Simons was misleading the public because Government could make changes to the Constitution under Section 54 of the Constitution, with the UK government's approval -- and she reaffirmed that Government was not planning to hold a constitutional conference.

OCTOBER Aquarium staff were up in arms when Government forced them to join the Bermuda Industrial Union and pay dues, without consulting the aquarium staff.

Telecommunications giant Global Crossing downsized its Bermuda operation by 60 percent. Later, three Bermudians would lose their jobs when XL Capital cut a total of 120 people from the company worldwide.

A battery of tests conducted in June said Bermudian students had vastly improved but were still below average under their respective education levels.

Henry Hayward became the new mayor of St. George's, after beating candidates E. Michael Jones and Ross Smith.

David Wingate, the man dubbed the "grandfather of Bermuda's environmental movement'', retired. His lifelong fight to bring the cahow back from extinction would later be featured in the Wall Street Journal.

Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans promised to increase the number of Supreme Court judges after Chief Justice Austin Ward sat as the only judge for a week.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon said Government planned to sneak Constitutional changes through without consulting the House of Assembly.

Constitutional conflict grew when Bermuda aired its dirty laundry before the world when a political cat fight erupted at a Commonwealth Parliamentary conference held at the Hamilton Princess.

Government and Opposition would begin to set up public forums from Constitutional Change after the UK Foreign Office said they will not support any Bermudian constitutional change without evidence of consulting the people.

And UBP Sen. Mark Pettingill warned the Boundaries Commission, to be set up to redraw constituencies, was not independent because the Premier could make changes to its recommendations.

A long-rumoured Progressive Labour Party leadership fight became reality when Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson said if party members urged him, he would stand against Premier Jennifer Smith at the party conference. His sister, Dr.

Eva Hodgson warned against "cult worship'' of Premier Smith.

Government outlined its plans in the Throne Speech for changes to labour standards, mandatory seat belts, an independent Parole Board, reformed fraud law, court reporting and the controversial constitutional reforms.

UBP boycotted the Throne Speech to protest Government's constitutional changes which they fear could lead to "dictatorship''.

British Labour MP Oona King blasted the UBP during her brief stay, calling the party "disrespectful to democracy''.

Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb was stopped for spending at 70 kph in her official car but due to "procedural irregularities'', she didn't have to pay the ticket.

In the courts, 35-year-old Stanley (Smiler) Antoine Perinchief pleaded guilty to tying up a pitbull, hitting it with a concrete block, stabbing it several times, including in the eye, severing tendons and hanging it over the wall.

Perinchief smirked in Magistrates' Court and said: "Yeah -- I'd like to say I'm sorry for my actions.'' while cursing at the Magistrate throughout the court proceeding.

Women were asked to be extra vigilant after a third sex attack rocks Bermuda and sends the island reeling from a spree of sex assaults.

A drug trial collapsed when $30,000 of cocaine wasn't properly tested, and was therefore ruled inadmissible. Co-accuseds Alexander Ming, 42, and Kenneth Durrant, 48, were both given not guilty verdicts for possession and handling of a controlled substance.

Three fishermen were given suspended sentence and fined $12,000 each for using illegal fishpots.

Andrew Daniel Farias, 34, Michael David Barnes, 40, and Michael Stephan Joel, 43, had originally faced over 20 charges arising from a two-month undercover Marine Police operation.

Some Club Med workers were finally paid for staying on in 1988 when the hotel closed. Eleven workers were paid a total of $88,877.96.

Mr. Hodgson overruled a stop order placed by a planning officer on Transport Minister Ewart Brown's new home being built by PLP MP Arthur Pitcher.

Rising tennis star Craig Bean, 18, died after being involved in a five-vehicle accident on Middle Road in Southampton.

Bermuda goes on alert to prevent an epidemic of Dengue Fever after research shows the mosquito that can carry the disease is breeding on the island.

Prison staff took industrial action over poor working conditions and over-crowding forcing Prisons Commissioner Edward Dyer and his senior officers were escorting prisoners to Supreme Court.

Heman Ledrew Viera was called a "time bomb'' and imprisoned for 25 years after he admitted raping an elderly woman.

Three 21-year-old men who attacked and robbed cabby Warrington `Soup' Zuill were sentenced to six years in prison. Ricardo Alexander Denbrook and brother Howard Austin Sinclair Mello and Andrew Leroy Hayward apologised for beating and robbing Mr. Zuill in Supreme Court.

NOVEMBER Premier Jennifer Smith beat off Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson's challenge for the leadership. Within days, he was dismissed from the Cabinet.

Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister added the Environment to his portfolio.

The Serious Crimes Commission report expressed horror that DNA testing was not widely used by Police and advised Bermuda to overhaul how it investigates, arrests, processes and prosecutes people.

Civil case prisoners will be housed in a new facility after Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox said she was surprised after being threatened with legal action over the conditions of the prisons.

Supreme Court Judge Vincent Meerabux, who presided over the Middleton murder trial, hits back at the finding of the Serious Crimes Commission, calling the report "misleading''.

Critics of the Serious Crimes Commission Report said the Commissioner's copped out because they did not name the person who allowed Kirk Mundy to plead to a lesser charge in the Rebecca Middleton case.

There was standing room only in St. Paul AME Church Hall for the first public forum on Constitutional change.

Premier Jennifer Smith defended the changes, saying they had always been on the PLP's agenda.

In the meantime, Baroness Scotland promised Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon the British Government will be listening to public debate about proposed constitutional change.

Petition wars start when UBP and PLP supporters start gathering signatures whether or not to have a constitutional conference on changes.

President of Meyer Travel, Henry Hayward, protested Government's move granting a single travel agency, Travel Planners, some $300,000 in commission.

Local soccer ref, Perry Scott, was assaulted on the field by North Village player Kasey Simons, 12 minutes into the match. Soccer refs later stage a boycott, foctring the cancellation of matches.

Members of Parliament clashed after the Bermuda Softball Association was locked out of a Government-run event because they refuse to drug test their members.

Long term residents claimed that MPs on both sides missed the point during their debate on the Green Paper, which only proposed to maintain the status quo.

MPs agreed to register and make public properties they own, employment, share holdings, directorships, sponsorship and any overseas travel -- in a move to be more accountable and transparent.

The Royal Gazette revealed the Bermuda Regiment was to be revamped and slimmed down, with B Company facing the axe.

Crime fell by 28 percent in the third quarter of this year, said new Police statistics.

Bermudian football player Dennis Robinson was sentenced to three years in US prison for scheming with his Bermuda Customs agent girlfriend to smuggle cocaine into US. Co-accused Customs agent Betty Azzario was sentenced to time served, just under a year.

A group of children who ransacked Purvis Primary, causing over $17,000 worth of damages, were sentenced in Family Court. The children walked out on probations, conditional discharges and compensation orders.

Court of Appeal threw out a bid by Randy Burgess to have his manslaughter conviction of Dean Antoine Young dismissed.

Entertainer Ross "Blackie'' Talbot died at the age of 82.

Corporation of Hamilton officials lost patience on a proposal to build a $100 million hotel and condo development after the project dragged on for almost three years.

This year, 12 new cases and nine deaths of AIDs were reported compared to last year when 19 new cases were reported and eleven deaths.

DECEMBER St. George's got an early Christmas present when UNESCO designated it a World Heritage site. The town's leaders and merchants hoped the designation would attract more business and tourists.

The Bank of Bermuda also celebrated Christmas early when it received its long sought after exemption from the 60/40 rule that restricted foreign investors.

MPs staged a 23-hour debate on Government's proposed Constitutional changes before the motion was passed. At the same time, Speaker of the House Stanley Lowe quashed a UBP vote of no confidence against Jennifer Smith because, he said, it would cause mockery and annoyance.

Dockworkers from Stevedoring Services-managed Hamilton docks said they would appeal to the Privy Council in London because they are being forced to work overtime.

A runaway Pink Flamingo, named Floyd, was dragged back to the Aquarium after zoo keepers launched a rescue operation to save the bird when it got caught in kite string.

Bermudians' hopes of getting British citizenship were crushed when the Queen's Speech, outlining the British Parliament's legislative plans for the year, failed to mention the measure.

Bermuda Properties Ltd. joined Rosewood Hotels to develop a $250 million resort called Tucker's Point at the old Castle Harbour Hotel site -- the latest and greatest in a series of major hotel improvements announced this year.

British Airways announced a six-day service to the UK by using a smaller plane.

Recommendations of the Regiment review were revealed -- they include cutting 100 soldiers from the present 700-man and woman force, establishing more full-time troops, cutting conscription by one year and creating a new marine patrol unit.

Transport Minister Ewart Brown said the Bermuda Industrial Union will buy more than $1 million of equipment to make a central dispatching system for taxis.

After a harried taxi drivers meeting later in the month, drivers declare they do not have a problem with a new dispatch system but don't want to be forced into the system.

After Government banned callback services, callback company GlobalTel hit back by lowering its prices and randomly calling homes trolling for more business.

Alternatives to Incarceration, which was allocated around $2.5 million, said they would start a halfway house for up to 30 inmates.

Premier Jennifer Smith's new car to replace the old GP1, is a Peugeot 607.

Bermudians Jonathan Smith and George Jackson were announced to be the new Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police, respectively.

Education Minister Milton Scott launched new initiatives to raise educational standards, particularly in literacy and numerary in the Primary Schools.

FOCUS Counselling Services previewed a $1.5 million halfway house for around 20 former inmates -- but Lily Park residents protested the building, saying they were not kept informed.

With the election -- at last -- of George W. Bush, Bermuda gained a solid ally, said Sir John Swan, who has connections throughout the Bush administration.

Nurses marched on the House of Assembly, protesting for better pay and conditions.

An estimated 20,000 people surrounded Hamilton Harbour to watch the Boat Parade 2000.

Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister rapped nine local companies for ignoring CURE forms that give racial breakdown.

A UBP petition to slow the constitutional changes, numbers rose 7,821 signatures -- a fifth of the electorate but Government said they plan to push ahead.

In October, air arrivals dropped by 19 percent but cruise ship arrivals reached in an all time high 207,881 -- breaching the 200,000 mark for the first time ever.

On Christmas Eve, the body of 34-year-old John Wilfred Quail was pulled from the water near his Smith's Parish home. Foul play was later ruled out.

Bermuda had its coldest Boxing Day ever when temperatures plummeted to 53 degrees Fahrenheit at 7 a.m.

Boycott: United Bermuda Party members boycott the Throne Speech to protest Government plans for constitutional reform.